The Winnfield City Police Department announced that its city jail is back in service this week after being mothballed since 2021 due to deficiencies cited by health inspectors and the Fire Marshal’s Office. The jail had served the community since completion of the police station complex in 2003 before its closure.
All corrections have been met for opening of the front portion of the jail (12 cells) and work has been contracted for the air conditioning unit for the back portion (20 cells), Asst. Chief Charles Curry told the Journal. The department began transferring city inmates back on Monday in the initial phase with hopes of fully implementing the facility by early summer.
During this interim, city inmates have been housed at the parish detention center with monthly costs to the department averaging $7,000 plus additional medical expenses. In some special instances, inmates had to be housed out-of-parish at higher rates. At the same time, the department lost positions, both fulltime and part-time.
The necessary repairs and updates have been made at the jail facility, Curry explained. Included have been a comprehensive camera system, state-of-the-art sprinkler system, new commercial grade refrigerator as part of the commercial kitchen, $116,000 contract for the HVAC unit that will allow opening the back portion, plumbing issues fixed, cleaning and painting “top to bottom,” and reorganization of the entire facility. The control room has video view of each area of the jail and station as well as control to lock or unlock all doors.
“It’s an ongoing process,” said Curry. “We still have things to do that are not part of the failed inspections four years ago. This was a priority when I became assistant chief in August. The first thing I did was to ID a person with knowledge and contacts with the Department of Corrections. This is a task where you must stay in contact with people on a daily basis, developing a relationship with vendors.”
He explained that an operational jail has a greater impact on community safety than the public may realize. When there is room to house city inmates and even those on hold, awaiting a trial date, “officers can be more aggressive and the judge is able to do his job to take the criminal element off our streets. It’s a trickle-down effect.” This process has been frustrated when jail space was limited.
This also allows the department again to have some “new, young, energetic people” being five fulltime jailers: warden Angela Williams plus Joseph Carrithers, Tyler Smith, Michael Slayter and Kaylee Sweet, as well as three part-time jailers Karen McNeal, Frenettra Holden and Keona Sapp.
