Supervisors approve updating, fixing locks at Lee County JDC
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lee County Supervisors have approved a request by Sheriff Jim Johnson to fix outdated software and locks in the Juvenile Detention Center.
The control panels for the monitoring system at the JDC are being replaced. The company that made the original panels is not in business and Sheriff Johnson says the system will be replaced.
Johnson said the aging facility is not only outdated but also poses a safety risk because of its lack of updated technology and infrastructure.
“We had a situation where an officer was taken down by a juvenile detainee, and you are physically having to lock and unlock doors with a manual key. He had the key in his pocket and so he was wrestling inmates. And individuals on the other side of the door trying to help, couldn’t get in. It’s a major safety issue. The facility has got to function correctly or everybody is put at risk,” said Johnson.
Johnson said he was hopeful supervisors will move ahead with plans for a new justice complex. The sheriff said details haven’t been finalized but meetings are ongoing.
