Once again, Warren County grand jurors said in their written report that a new jail is the No. 1 issue facing Warren County.

The written report was the ninth consecutive time a citizen panel has listed a jail as the top priority. This month’s jury, which convened Monday and completed its work of examining criminal cases and inspecting local government operations Thursday, mentioned in its report that they “agree with and appreciate the efforts put forth by the county board of supervisors” in this area, but also said they want the board “to provide a detailed planning schedule … to the August grand jury.”

District 1 Supervisor David McDonald said that shouldn’t be a problem. In August 2007, McDonald spent four days at a Department of Justice conference in Colorado with Sheriff Martin Pace, Undersheriff Jeff Riggs and County Administrator John Smith to research the steps in designing and building a jail.

The jail, located at Grove and Cherry streets, Sheriff Martin Pace said, is continually filled to its capacity of 118 with pretrial detainees only.He noted that the Department of Justice has given Warren County officials a time chart of building a new jail with detailed steps of the process, and that those steps will be executed once a criminal justice consultant is hired. That consultant, McDonald said, will assess the county’s needs. McDonald said he anticipates the board hiring a consultant in the next 30 days.

“Once the consultant is hired, you’re going to see things moving along a lot faster,” he said.

The jury toured the jail with Pace, who himself has continually described the facility, a portion of which dates to 1907, as “outdated,” “grossly undersized” and “not large enough to meet the needs of the community.” Newer portions were completed in 1979 and a few years ago.

As a county jail in Mississippi, Pace said, the local facility is supposed to house three kinds of inmates – felons charged and awaiting trial, people convicted of misdemeanors and state inmates working in trusty programs. The jail, located at Grove and Cherry streets, Pace said, is continually filled to its capacity of 118 with pretrial detainees only.

This situation forces authorities, including the City of Vicksburg, which pays a per diem rate to house detainees, to ferry those arrested to and from jails in other counties. Paul Rogers, the city’s strategic planner, said the city spent $376,365 to house prisoners in the Issaquena County Jail in 2007, compared to $21,456 paid to Warren County for jail services in 2007.

A location for a new jail has not been determined.

According to the Department of Justice, the average planning and construction time for a new jail is 44 to 68 months once initial actions are taken.

Other recommendations made by grand jurors were:

Warren County prosecutor should be a full-time position with an assistant and clerical support.

More investigators are needed for the Vicksburg Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the District Attorney’s Office. The report also noted low pay and turnover in city and county law enforcement.

The citizens of Warren County should urge local legislators to become more involved with the juvenile justice system and implement reforms as a long-term solution to reducing crime.

More practical and detailed orientation for grand juries concerning duties and obligations should be presented before the presentation of cases.

Additional assistant district attorneys should be appointed.

View Grand Jury Report