THOMASVILLE — A large amount of food remains in the wake of the June 30 closing of Thomas County prison.

Thomas County commissioners discussed Wednesday how to dispose of the canned, dry and frozen food.

Commissioner Wiley Grady would like for the food to go to a charitable organization that provides meals for the needy.

Dry goods range from chicken soup mix, bread crumbs and grits, pasta, pudding mix and tea bags, among other items.

Canned food includes tomatoes, pasta sauce, soup, vegetables and fruits.

Frozen foods range from vegetables to poultry, fish, pork, chicken and turkey.

“We need to use some common sense in this rather than throw it in a dumpster,” Commissioner Mark NeSmith said.

Commissioners decided in late 2016 to close the prison, citing a lack of funding from the Georgia Department of Revenue for housing prisoners and the unwillingness of some inmates to work on prison details.

The prison, which opened in the 1920s, was in need of major repairs — or replacement.

Commissioners said they did not want to spend millions of dollars in tax revenue to build a new prison.

Inmates housed at the prison were transferred to other state facilities.

Some prison employees found work in Thomas County government or at state prison facilities in nearby communities. Some returned to school.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820