Beauregard Parish officials propose new 500-bed jail funded by sales tax continuation

BEAUREGARD PARISH, La. (KPLC) - Beauregard Parish officials are proposing a new jail that would hold 500 inmates, funded through a quarter-cent sales tax continuation.

The proposed jail would be located southwest of DeRidder off Old Airport Road near U.S. 190.

Beauregard Sheriff Mark Herford said the current jail can only hold about 160 inmates. With daily arrests, the parish has to relocate overflow inmates to neighboring parish jails.

“At any particular time, we run between 275 and 320 a day, and the problem is costs because we have to house the inmates outside of Beauregard Parish,” Herford said.

The new jail would be funded through a quarter-cent sales tax continuation that currently funds the renovation of the courthouse and expires next year.

“We would not try to start collecting the tax for the jail until the tax for the courthouse has expired. I don’t want to see anybody’s taxes raised, but this is something that they’ve already been paying,” Herford said.

The sheriff said the parish sits on hundreds, if not thousands, of active arrest warrants that cannot be served because there is no room to house inmates.

The current jail was renovated by the police jury after Hurricane Laura damage.

Herford and the Beauregard Jail Committee have visited other parish jails to get an idea of what they would like to build.

“Jackson Parish, which has a jail very similar to what we’re looking to build. So with their input and with their assistance, we’re trying to get a plan ready for the future,” Herford said.

While there is no precise cost set, the new jail could cost nearly $10 million. Herford said the new facility would also bring in new jobs for the area.

If the sales tax passes, groundbreaking is expected to be in 2028.