John Guidroz

It’s been nearly 10 months since Hurricane Laura forced the Calcasieu Correctional Center and the Sheriff’s Prison to close and send hundreds of inmates to facilities throughout Louisiana. Documents provided to the American Press indicate that more than 770 inmates are being housed at parish jails throughout Louisiana, with some located more than two hours outside of Calcasieu Parish.

Roughly $6.28 million worth of repairs to the correctional center and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office administration building started in mid-April and should wrap up in late September. Both facilities are owned by the Calcasieu Police Jury.

“The project is going very well,” said Martin Vires, capital projects manager for the Police Jury’s facility management department. “There’s nothing but forward progress on this.”

Some of the estimated $20 million in repairs to the sheriff’s prison are done or nearly complete, including a new roof. Other projects — such as new electronics for doors, a state-of-the-art computer system, window replacements and repainting — still await bid openings.

“This whole ordeal has been very frustrating and taken up a lot of our time,” Sheriff Tony Mancuso said. “It’s been a challenge in every aspect, from insurance to construction. It’s been a long process, but it’s no different than the people in the community who are going through the same thing. I know we’re going to get back to normal at some point; we just all have to work together to get through it.”

If all goes according to plan, roughly 600 inmates could be housed at Calcasieu Parish facilities by the end of the year, Mancuso said. Vires said inmates could be housed in the correctional center sooner if repairs to any of its three main pods are done ahead of schedule.

Both the correctional center and prison can hold roughly 1,300 prisoners, Mancuso said.

Inmates scattered

More than 380 inmates that would be at Calcasieu Parish facilities are being housed at the Catahoula Correctional Center — roughly 150 miles northeast of Calcasieu. Another 106 inmates are 240 miles away at the East Carroll River Bend Detention Center. Dozens more are housed at facilities in Tensas, Rapides, LaSalle, Caldwell and Franklin parishes.

Any new arrests brought daily to the Sheriff’s Office intake area are sent to an outside facility if they cannot bond out within two to three days, Mancuso said. Except for high crimes with expensive bonds, the Sheriff’s Office tries to arrange for those arrested to make bond and avoid the expense of sending them to other jails and bringing them back for court appearances.

The Sheriff’s Office pays for inmates to be housed at outside facilities, and the Police Jury reimburses the cost. Tammy Bufkin, Police Jury finance director, said the parish has reimbursed $3.5 million to the Sheriff’s Office so far. She said the parish plans to seek reimbursement from FEMA for the majority of that amount.

“It’s really racking up some dollars,” Bufkin said. “It’s very crucial we get that back.”

“We’re ready for that to end,” Mancuso added. “It’s logistically a nightmare.”

Under state law, the Police Jury is responsible for the custody and care of Calcasieu Parish inmates, including medical attention and feeding.

Roughly 75 inmates are currently housed in Calcasieu facilities, including the Sheriff’s Office intake area and one dorm open for trustees that is safe to occupy, Mancuso said. Some inmates are Department of Corrections prisoners that the sheriff’s office screens and uses for maintenance work, such as yard crews.

Repair work

The hurricane-related damage to all Sheriff’s Office facilities and property, including substations and vehicles, ranges from $30 million to $40 million, Mancuso said.

“Every building we had sustained some type of damage,” he said.

Initial bids on repairs to the sheriff’s prison were not specific enough, forcing a second bid process, Mancuso said.

“We want to get it right the first time,” he said. “It’s not like this is a small repair.”

The Sheriff’s Office has hired an attorney to work with the insurance company, Mancuso said. Many of the delays with the project have involved insurance, but the issue has not gone to court, he said.

“But we’re prepared for that if we have to,” Mancuso said.

Deputies are working out of some repaired substations while repairs continue on the Carlyss and South and North Lake Charles substations. The sheriff’s department lost 17 vehicles from Hurricanes Laura and Delta and lost another five during the May 17 flood, Mancuso said.

Vires said the correctional center was damaged by the hurricanes, but isn’t considered a total loss. The 49,500-square-foot roof for the three inmate pods will be replaced, along with another 52,755-square-foot roof on attached buildings on the correctional center. The new roof will have a wind load of 140 miles per hour.

“That’s critical infrastructure for the parish,” Vires said.

The Sheriff’s Office administration building also suffered roof damage, which measures more than 50,528 square feet, Vires said. He said the detective pool took in water during Hurricane Laura and is being completely renovated.

Vires said work on the correctional center and administration building began quickly after the contract was signed. Pat Williams Construction is the contractor.

The correctional center and Sheriff’s administration building were built in 1990, Vires said.

Built from 1997-1999 at a cost of $15.9 million, the sheriff’s prison was paid off through the housing of federal prisoners and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency prisoners. Mancuso ended that after he first took office back in 2004.

Visitation

The Sheriff’s Office is also working to arrange for virtual inmate visits using iPads or kiosks, once the facilities are reopened, Mancuso said. He said it can allow the elderly to more conveniently visit their loved ones.

Mancuso acknowledged the difficulty families may be dealing with right now with their loved one in a facility hours away.

“Regardless of whether they’re in jail or not, they’re still human beings,” he said. “We’re trying to ease that, but it’s difficult in these particular times.”

Two hurricanes took their toll on the Calcasieu Sheriff’s Prison, but the facility is making large strides toward recovery.

RIck Hickman