City inmate plan could lead to new jail
Philadelphia Police housing prisoners in the Neshoba County Jail again could help lead to a badly needed jail renovation and expansion, Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark says.
During the regular meeting with The Board of Supervisors, Clark presented a new prisoner housing agreement with the city as costs to transport prisoners to Winston County continue to soar.
“We’re hoping this agreement will be contingent of the supervisors expanding the jail for more housing space in the future, “Clark said.
“We know there’s a problem there. We’ve become really aggressive over the last three years in law enforcement, and right now, we are over census at the jail with 84 inmates in a 64-bed facility, but hopefully, this will increase awareness of the situation we are in and get the county and city working on a plan together to house them more efficiently.”
According to the Sheriff, the current metal structure jail, built in 1994, wasn’t designed for a 30-year life and has issues of deteriorating toilets and a leaking roof.
Under the agreement under consideration, the city would contribute $20,000 monthly for inmate housing. This allocation would allow a $1 per hour pay increase for current jail staff to accommodate additional duties, with the remaining $15,000 covering inmate housing costs, Clark said.
A city inmate refers to an adult arrested by city police officers on misdemeanor or felony charges or jointly charged by state law enforcement officers within the city limits, according to the agreement.
The city is currently incurring significant travel expenses and has invested substantial time in transporting inmates to Winston County.
The new agreement is expected to save city taxpayers $100,000 annually, officials have said.
The estimated annual jail costs for the city, including labor, fuel, and jail expenses, exceed $313,000.
Additionally, about 8,700 patrol hours are expended during the transportation process, according to an analysis presented to aldermen.
Supervisors took no action on Monday, but the proposed housing agreement is under consideration pending the swearing-in of new District 1 Supervisor Mike Snow in January, officials said.
In other action, supervisors voted to:
• Approve requisition for 23 unlimited smartphone plans for 2-year service with C Spire totaling $24,784 for the Sheriff’s Department;
• Approve the appointment of Mark Flake to replace Josh Burt as County Fire Investigator effective Jan. 1, 2024;
• Approve paying $30,385 to Asia Motors in Illinois for a 2020 Ford Explorer for the Sheriff’s Department;
• Approve appointing Jonni Myers to replace Shannon Morrow on the Philadelphia-Neshoba County Tourism Council;
• Approve the January, February, and March 2024 board meeting schedule. Meetings will occur on the first and third Tuesdays in January, the first Monday and third Tuesday in February, and back to the regular meeting schedule of the first and third Mondays in March.