The head of Madison County's troubled county jail has announced his retirement from public service, two months after county officials declined to renew his contract.

Steve Morrison is leaving after 46 years in public service, Madison County Sheriff Blake Dorning announced late Thursday.

"It is with heavy heart that after 46 years in law enforcement and government service that I intend to retire effective 4 January, 2016," Morrison wrote in a letter to the sheriff.

Dorning praised Morrison's fiscal acumen during his tenure running the jail, which began in 2010.

"Chief Morrison has been a tremendous asset to the very efficient financial operation of the largest expenditure of taxpayer monies, 'the county jail" and is recognized as a progressive leader in jail operations across the state and country," Dorning said.

Other issues at the jail have cast a pall over operations there for the past several months, however, and the Sheriff's Office is a defendant in multiple lawsuits that have been filed on behalf of inmates who died in custody - including a 19-year-old man who suffered from gangrene.

Another case involves the treatment of one mentally ill inmate whose family has retained an attorney for a possible lawsuit. That August case has drawn an interest by the FBI into conditions at the jail.

Corrections officer Troy Fulk has been named to replace Morrison until a permanent replacement is hired.