LAFAYETTE, La. (NEWS 15) — For at least the second time this year, the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center (LPCC) is out of space to house inmates.
Lafayette's jail is running out of room yet again. It was last February when News 15 Investigates first documented the situation.
Our partners at The Current uncovered issues with overcrowding and a lack of manpower, which impacted whether police would even make arrests in certain cases.
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LAFAYETTE, La. (The Current) — Last month, local officials asked the Louisiana Department of Corrections to transfer seven state prisoners out of the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center, what should have been a routine request. But this time, the state said it couldn’t take a single inmate off LPCC’s hands. “Every jail we have contacted is at full capacity,” wrote Deputy Assistant Secretary Duane Cambry in an Oct. 29 email obtained by The Current. “If you find another jail willing to accept these, please let me know and then I can approve the transfer.” The jail was quick to put the word out to local officials. ”This puts all of us in a very untenable situation until something changes statewide,” Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber wrote in an email to dozens of LCG administrators, council members, local police chiefs and judges. DOC’s position is but the latest challenge facing parish corrections officials, who have been making their case to the Boulet administration for more funding. Lack of space at the jail has put added pressure on local police agencies, leading to beat cops making booking decisions based on whether there could be space at the jail.
LAFAYETTE, La. (Current) — The Lafayette Parish Correctional Center has taken steps, big and small, to address a persistent overcrowding issue that has long frustrated law enforcement officers and potentially put the community’s safety at risk.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) — Officials with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office held a briefing on Thursday, March 21, in which they said the overpopulation at LPCC doesn't come from the lack of beds but from not being able to house non-violent and violent offenders together.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) — On the heels of our reporting about Lafayette Parish jail overcrowding comes new concerns about what's happening instead of booking some of those who commit crimes. There are instances of suspects being booked but then immediately released instead of being jailed, including cases involving men facing domestic violence charges.
LAFAYETTE, La. (KADN) — News 15 Investigates uncovers the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center (LPCC) has reached full capacity, and as a result, some people who are arrested are being let go.
LAFAYETTE, La. (The Current) — It’s not uncommon today for people arrested in Lafayette Parish to be detained in a holding room for up to two days while they await booking into the parish jail. That’s because there’s effectively no room at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center, the sheriff’s office says.
Now, it's happening again. Back in February, Lafayette Parish officials said they were working towards resolutions. Sheriff Mark Garber even reopened a portion of the former jail annex.
But nearly a year later, the problem still persists, with the sheriff writing in a recent email that the situation is now "untenable."
Officials added state funding hasn't kept up with the cost of housing an increasing number of inmates due to new crime laws. It has apparently led to disagreements across local agencies about how to move forward.
For her part, Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet reiterated her support for building a new jail to alleviate the problem.
