Iberia Parish jail needs lots of repair work
By RICHARD BURGESS
The Advocate
NEW IBERIA, La. — Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal says at least $1 million will be needed to fix a long list of problems at the parish jail that he blames on former Sheriff Sid Hebert.
Ackal, who took office July 1, brought media and local officials on a tour of the facility Tuesday for what the new sheriff said was a move to allow residents to know that “I inherited this mess.
“I want you to see it as I received it,” Ackal said.
The list of big-ticket needs given by Ackal includes an air conditioning system, major security upgrades, sewer system repairs, and new equipment for the laundry and kitchen.
The new sheriff also said he hopes to repair broken windows, fix rusted doors and spruce up the facility with some paint and polish.
“It’s not supposed to be a resort, but it has to be clean because we house people’s families here,” Ackal said.
The sheriff has contracted an engineering firm to determine what repairs are needed and the cost, but Ackal estimated a price tag ranging from $1 million to $2 million.
Still uncertain is where that money might come from, though the parish is generally responsible for jail maintenance.
Iberia Parish Government has been paying the Sheriff’s Office $860,000 a year for jail maintenance.
Ackal said that, considering the condition of the jail, he questions how much of that money was devoted to maintaining the facility.
The new sheriff said he could offer no details on the jail’s budget because someone allegedly shredded financial records before he took office.
Hebert, who served three terms as sheriff before stepping down, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon on the jail or the allegations of shredded records.
Ackal said the 17-year-old jail now houses about 469 inmates, which is about 200 more than the number of inmates it was designed to hold.
Some of the maintenance needs listed by Ackal are not unusual for a public facility of that age.
The new sheriff said some of the capacity issues could be solved if inmates were moved more quickly through the criminal justice system.
The state is responsible for inmates after trial, so the quicker inmates move though the system, the less the parish has to pay to feed and house them.
Ackal said there are some inmates in the parish jail who have been awaiting trial from two to four years.
“Is it fair to the taxpayers to have people sitting in jail for four years without going to trial?” he said.
Ackal said he is meeting with judges, prosecutors and public defenders in an effort to address the issue.
Copyright 2008 Capital City Press