Associated Press
RUSTON, La. — The Lincoln Parish Detention Center is now under new management.
The News-Star reports the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office took over management of the jail on Monday.
Maj. Stephen Williams says the prison had been run by the Lincoln Parish Detention Center Commission for more than 30 years.
“This is a big occasion for our department with addition of the jail and its 200 inmates and 37 employees,” Williams said.
Sheriff Mike Stone said the reason for the switch was financial.
“There were some budget issues they were having out there,” Stone said. “It’s been running in the red for some time.”
Stone said only two parishes in the state to have had commissions run their jails, Lincoln and Union.
“The commission funded a study that came to two options,” Stone said. “They could keep running it or it could be handed over to us.”
Stone said the jail had been under the management of LaSalle Corrections, a private company, since 2007. LaSalle also manages Richwood Correctional Center.
Stone said the commission consisted of himself, the district attorney, the Ruston police chief and members of the police jury.
The commission was started in 1982 by the state Legislature, relieving the sheriff from direct responsibility of the detention center.