County jail in need of repairs

The 30-year-old Neshoba County Detention Center is in disrepair and overcrowded.

Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark said that the jail recently passed a health department inspection, but the facility still faces deficiencies, such as unreliable hot and cold water, low water pressure, and old plumbing.

One example of the facility’s deteriorating infrastructure is seen in the booking area, where two detox cells are separated by a small closet that, when opened, reveals rusted, outdated pipes, a condition throughout the jail.

Recent improvements have included a new roof to fix leaks, painting touch-ups, and black plastic covers added around the fences. Despite a fresh paint job in the cells just six months ago, inmates have already begun chipping away the paint.

The jail houses inmates across four blocks—A Block, B Block, C Block, and D Block—along with a separate building with five cells for “trustee” inmates, who perform tasks like washing cars and are serving time for minor offenses. 

The C Block, in particular, has visible rust near the toilets and on parts of the deteriorating floor.

An old boiler, installed three decades ago, adds to the jail’s water issues. By the time hot water reaches B Block, some inmates complain of having no hot water at all.

Another concern is the jail’s outdated control tower, which monitors the facility using 35 cameras and operates the cell lighting system through a panel that hasn’t been upgraded since the jail’s construction in 1994.

However, according to the Sheriff, one of the jail’s most pressing challenges is overcrowding. 

While the facility is designed to house 66 inmates, it is currently holding 82 as of Monday, with some inmates forced to sleep on the floor.

The inmate population has reached as high as 108 in the past. 

During the most recent Board of Supervisors meeting, District 4 Supervisor Kevin Wilcher asked Sheriff Clark about the possibility of moving inmates to Leake County’s jail and the associated costs of an agreement.

Sheriff Clark said his preference would be building a regional facility similar to Leake County’s.

The regional jail has an inmate fire department dispatched to rural areas, and inmates perform vehicle maintenance like striping and welding on patrol cars.

“We are going to have to talk to our local legislators and communicate with the Department of Corrections to show an interest in wanting a regional facility,” Clark said.

He suggested that an ideal regional facility in Neshoba County should have the capacity for about 250 state inmates and 100 to 125 county and city inmates, keeping the total inmate population under 500.

Sheriff Clark also emphasized the current financial strain of housing inmates, estimating it costs the county about $60 a day per inmate. While he doesn’t believe a regional facility would immediately pay for itself, he said that over time, the benefits would make it invaluable.

“I think eventually we could get to a point where we’re housing inmates at no cost to county residents,” Clark said, adding that only expanding the jail would need to include both more space and an on-site kitchen to reduce inmate food costs.

If a new facility were built, Clark envisions an open barracks-style design, with communal showers and toilets on the opposite end, but with walls high enough to maintain privacy while allowing guards to monitor for safety.

“We’re constantly working on the heating, cooling, and plumbing. It’s a continual effort just to keep the lights on,” Clark said. “At some point, we need to get to where that’s not our chief concern.”

He added, “It gets to the point to where you feel like you can do better. We don’t have a lot of complaints, and we treat them well. They don’t get that everywhere else.”

Clark said his wish would be to build a facility capable of housing inmates, feeding them on-site, and handling vehicle maintenance with a joint county workforce.

He also provided an estimate of the costs involved in a move to Leake County based on fiscal year 2024 figures.

From October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, 2,115 inmates were booked into the Neshoba County Detention Center, with an average daily population of 94 inmates. 

Under the same agreement as the city, Neshoba County would pay Leake County $27 a day per inmate, resulting in an annual housing cost of $926,370. With court and jail staff salaries and transportation costs included, the total would rise to $1,262,723.

However, this figure does not account for overtime, vehicle maintenance, transportation for medical care, inmate interviews, and other expenses that would accrue. 

Currently, the Sheriff’s budget allocates $90,000 for inmate medical care, and the overall budget for the Neshoba County Detention Center is $2,147,208.