Inside the Washington Parish jail, the floors are cracking, there are holes in the ceiling, and the layout is challenging. According to Sheriff Jason Smith, they are overdue for a new jail.
“No, listen, I understand like jail is not supposed to be nice,” Smith said, “The punishment is just supposed to be the restriction of their liberty. It’s not supposed to be living in inhumane conditions, and that’s really what we’ve got on our hands currently.”
Inside the facility, dozens of inmates are piled into one room. Many of them are lying on mats on the floor.
According to Smith, the living conditions at times contribute to poor behavior, which in turn makes it more stressful on the employees that work there.
The facility also does not have a medical ward with beds, so the jail rededicated a cell block for inmates who need extra care.
However, this all could soon change. Smith, with the help of state representatives, secured nearly $30 million in funding for a new facility.
Sonnie Warren, the assistant warden at the facility, is excited about the news.
“I’m praying; I hope we get it because we really do need it,” Warren said.
“We’ve got $500,000 in cash to spend on the design process, and then $27 million in priority five money in order to get access to that money,” Smith said. “There’s a couple of things that have to happen, but we’re working through it now.”
Smith told WDSU he met with the design team Friday. The new facility will address what the current one cannot: adequate separation of inmate populations, modern medical and mental health capacity, improved sight lines and staffing ratios and infrastructure built to current code.
While it’s too early in the process to provide a completion date, Smith said he is aiming for 2029.
READ MORE:Washington Parish sheriff’s office secures state funding for deteriorating jail
