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Bellard Questions Jail Costs

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting

Parish president Jessie Bellard says he is tired of having closed door meetings with Sheriff Bobby Guidroz that Bellard claims have been unsuccessful in reducing the costs for parish jail expenses.

Bellard told Parish Council members on Wednesday night that litigation might eventually be needed to determine how much the parish is required to pay for feeding, housing and providing inmate medical care.

The Council voted 11-0 with an abstention by Harold Taylor to move forward with either further discussions with the sheriff or perhaps bring the issue to state district court.

Neither Guidroz nor Mike Leger, legal counsel for the Sheriff’s Department attended the regular meeting.

The question of inmate expenses which are mandated by the state, was potentially scheduled to be discussed by the Council in closed session along with two lawsuits filed against the parish in connection with dumpster removals for Hidden Hills subdivision and another alleging a state bid law violation.

Council members eventually decided to go into executive sessions for the Hidden Hills matter and the state bid lawsuit.

However following an open meeting law challenge by Eunice News editor Harlan Kirgan regarding possible litigation for parish prisoner expenses, Bellard said he welcomed open session discussion and Council members agreed.

According to Bellard, the sheriff receives $26 a day from state sources to cover the meal expenses for 60 state inmates that are currently incarcerated in the parish jail.

The parish, Bellard noted,  is paying $17 to feed state and other inmates. The parish, Bellard told the Council, should be more equally compensated by the sheriff, who operates the jail maintained by the parish.

One solution proposed by Bellard during a lengthy discussion, is to have the sheriff transfer state inmates to locations in other parishes.

If that occurs, Bellard said, beds in the parish jail could be filled by parish inmates now behind bars in other parishes due to lack of St. Landry jail space, ultimately lowering the overall prisoner expenses paid by the parish.

Bellard said the parish receives about $4.2 million in taxes annually, but increasing mandated expenses such as parish jail expenses have risen to $6.6 million each year.

The matter of having the sheriff pay more for inmate housing needs to be solved soon, Bellard added.

Council chairman Wayne Ardoin questioned whether Bellard might be acting too hastily with regard to confronting the sheriff, perhaps with legal action.

Nancy Carriere, another council member, said the issue over the inmate costs should be decided by the end of 2024.

The parish operates fiscally on a calendar year schedule which ends Dec. 31.

Bellard said he is anxious to push forward with the issue.

“It’s time that the Council decides to do something, get from behind closed doors and get this out into the open. If we sit here and don’t take action, then we are going to get what we get,” Bellard said. 

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