Warren sheriff seeks new jail as county frets over financing
VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) – Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace says his county needs a new jail, but county supervisors say that with stagnant tax receipts, they’re unsure how to finance one.
The jail was built in 1907 and added onto in 1977. Pace tells The Vicksburg Post that the jail is inadequate and unsafe. He says there’s no way to segregate misdemeanor and felony prisoners, and thus the jail no longer holds people convicted of misdemeanors. Because the jail is no longer certified by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, the county can’t hold state prisoners. In other counties, such prisoners collect garbage and do maintenance work.
Warren County Supervisor Richard George agrees a new jail is needed. But he says the county could have to raise taxes to pay for construction and operation.
