Reaching its tipping point

If the current trend continues of the parish having to pay for the housing of prisoners at other locations, such as Caldwell Parish, then the parish faces a scenario where its funds in the general fund would be depleted by April. If that were to happen, the state would come in and decide what would get paid.
“I don’t want that to happen,” said Evangeline Parish Police Juror Bryan Vidrine during the meeting of the jury’s executive committee held Monday, February 1.
Vidrine volunteered to serve on a committee made up of other jurors, representatives of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, and other officials to discuss a possible new parish jail.
Vidrine went on to lay out topics he would like the committee to discuss such as funding options for the new jail.
Jury President Ryan “Leday” Williams stated different options are currently being discussed such as temporary housing. “I have had discussions with different people who are interested in accommodating us to make this possible if it’s feasible with the cooperation of ourselves and the sheriff’s department,” he said.
Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory stated he had a meeting scheduled for the following day, on Tuesday, with the warden of the Basile Detention Center where there are 900 empty beds. Prisoners being housed out of the parish could then be housed at Basile depending on the outcome of the meeting.
“We’re not going to make Concordia and all them other parishes rich,” the sheriff said. He added a new jail would “relieve the burden of the cost of making them northern parishes rich.”
State Senator Heather Cloud pledged her support to the police jury as the parish faces what she called “a pivotal moment for all of us as we move forward.”
Senator Cloud discussed bringing other officials to the table such as Allen Parish Sheriff Doug Hebert who constructed a jail recently. The senator also discussed meeting with State Treasurer John Schroder, who is the chair of the state bond commission.
“If you can figure out where the revenue streams are going to be to fund a prison,” she said, “that would help secure some long term funding to have money set aside. Already you would be housing (the prisoners) here and not having to send the money outside.”
Joining Vidrine on the committee from the police jury are Daniel Arvie, Keith Saucier, Kevin Veillon, Lamar Johnson, and Ryan “LeDay” Williams.
In other action, the committee approved having nursing service seven days a week in the jail with the costs coming out of the health unit funds.
For more from Monday’s meeting, pick up a copy of the Sunday, February 7, edition of the Ville Platte Gazette.