NATCHEZ, Miss. – Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten is asking the state to help fund a regional jail here to serve southwest Mississippi. This proposition, he said, would ease the financial burden on Adams County for building a new detention facility to replace the obsolete, dysfunctional jail that county officials have been struggling with for several years.
Patten said the construction and operation costs could be shared by the state and surrounding southwest Mississippi counties and towns also in need of new space to house inmates. Meeting Monday with Adams County supervisors, the sheriff presented them with details of the proposal. He asked them for their support in getting this done. Supervisors made no formal commitment to this.
Estimated costs vary for building a new Adams County jail. A recent projection had one costing about $40 million. Adams County supervisors have said a tax increase would likely be needed to pay for a new jail.
A state-backed regional jail in Adams County would generate funds to finance its construction with money southwest Mississippi counties and towns would pay for housing their detainees there, Patten said.
“With MDOC partnership, the state can help Adams County avoid overbuilding, contain operating costs, design a facility appropriate to regional demand and ensure a safe, efficient and legally defensible facility that meets current standards and future needs,” he said.
Patten’s request for a state-supported regional jail comes as the Mississippi Legislature is in the second month of its annual session that’s scheduled to continue until April.
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