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| Court Limits Prisoner Population |
| By The Times News Editor |
| Published: 12/12/2005 |
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Mississippi's Scott County can no longer hold more than 38 inmates in its jail according to a federal court order signed late last month, which has forced the sheriff to release prisoners being held on non-violent offenses. The order was presented last week during a Board of Supervisors meeting where county officials were told that Scott County is in jeopardy of losing its state inmate work program if progress is not made toward building a new jail. On a regular basis during the past several years, the jail population has averaged approximately 46 to 50 inmates daily and sometimes much more, jail administrator Harold Jones told supervisors during the meeting. Sheriff William S. Richardson told supervisors he would obey the court order issued Nov. 18 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jerry Davis to keep the detention center inmate population at 38. The order is part of an ongoing lawsuit, known as Gates vs. Collier, against numerous county jails around the state that addresses overcrowding among other issues. The sheriff said he would transport prisoners to neighboring counties based on agreements held with those counties to house inmates. "Somehow whatever it takes I am going to keep this below 38. If we get a build up with felony arrests, I'm going to put them in one or two of those places (Newton and Carthage)," Richardson said. "I've already talked with the city of Forest and I have talked with the highway patrol and have told them what I'd be doing. Some of these folks we get close to 38 I'm going to be releasing on their own recognizance. I have released some already." Richardson said while persons arrested by area law enforcement agencies that regularly contribute to the jail population continue to arrive, the public's safety will still be a priority. According to the recent order, if the jail population exceeds 38 inmates, the inmate work program could be ended with or without notice and the jail could be disapproved for housing state inmates. The beds occupied by the state inmates would then be used to house the overflow. Jones and Richardson have said in previous reports that the inmate work program is an invaluable asset to the county in providing personnel to perform duties such as litter pickup, garbage pickup and other tasks that the county would otherwise have to hire personnel at greater expense. The county is also reimbursed $20 per day for each state inmate-funding that could be lost if the program is shut down. Moments after the supervisors meeting ended, Welch told The Scott County Times that he has tried to work with Scott County to solve its jail issues but has seen little to no progress. Welch acknowledged that during his visit to the supervisors that he gave six months for the county to move forward with building a new jail, but part of the court order is keeping the jail population in check. Welch said he would not seek monetary fines if the county were found in contempt of the judge's order. The issue has local police chiefs, including Forest Police Chief Mike Lee, concerned about their ability to enforce local court orders and laws if there is no room to place those arrested into the county jail. |
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