Consultant Recommends New Jail For Lee County

LEE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – A consultant hired by Lee County Supervisors to assess the current jail says the time for a new facility is long overdue.

Corrections officers at the Lee County jail say, maintaining a close watch on all inmates is crucial, but virtually impossible, the way the jail was built. Ideally, corrections officers should have a clear view, or “line of sight” of all inmates from their control center. That is just one of many problems jail consultant Tom Weber found with the current jail.

“The jail has probably outlived its existence,” Weber said.

Weber was hired by supervisors late last year to study the county jail and make recommendations for future needs. During his presentation to supervisors, Weber said the jail has been at the capacity of around 200 inmates, since opening day.

He also says the jail was never designed to house high-risk inmates, or those with certain mental issues, or addictions.

“There is definitely a need for additional beds, specialized management unit beds, classified, beds, needs of inmates in areas of mental health, medical, chemical detoxification, suicide prevention, these are all high-risk areas for the current jail,” Weber said.

Weber recommends a 320-bed jail, with an additional 80 beds for higher-risk inmates. He also says plans for a new jail should expand the sally port, kitchen, laundry, and storage areas.

Board President Billy Joe Holland says supervisors have been talking about the need for a new jail for years and it’s time for action.

“I’m a jail man, I’m supporting the jail, we’ve kicked this can down the road, I think we need to come up with a plan,” Holland said.

Sheriff Jim Johnson has been pushing for a new jail and justice center for years. The sheriff says the poor conditions at the jail are a primary reason for high turnover among corrections officers, which leads to other problems.

“We’re having to use limitations on municipalities to only use a certain amount of bed space and they have to rely on somewhere else so, it has caused conflict and strained relationships between sheriff’s department and other municipalities because it makes me look like a bad person for not being able to supply needs they have,” Sheriff Johnson said.

Weber says the new jail could be built on the same site as the current one. For the next step, Weber recommends supervisors develop a comprehensive master plan, with the help of an architectural firm specializing in jail construction.

Weber estimates a jail, with up to 400 beds meeting Lee County’s inmate population needs, would cost approximately 50 million dollars.