Scott Tucker, warden of the Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center (BDCC), addressed the Lions Club on January 23, providing insights into the facility’s operations and programs. Tucker, who has worked in Webster Parish law enforcement for 31 years, became warden last September.
BDCC houses approximately 600 inmates in four dorms, each accommodating 100 inmates, and two cell blocks holding around 25 inmates each. Additionally, Tucker highlighted two work programs at the facility. The work crew program includes 56 inmates who perform tasks like roadside cleanup under supervision. The transitional work program, for inmates in the final years of their sentences with good behavior, houses about 120 men. These inmates are transported to regular jobs, pay room and board, and contribute to savings accounts. Tucker noted some have saved up to $70,000 upon release.
Female inmates are currently housed on the fourth floor of the Webster Parish Courthouse, which can hold up to 64 women. However, Tucker avoids filling the facility to capacity due to poor conditions. A new facility on Penal Farm Road is under construction to provide better accommodations and educational opportunities.
The facility’s kitchen, managed by BDCC, prepares 1,800 meals daily at an average cost of $5 per inmate by using basic ingredients. To maintain order, meals are served in groups of 100, with staggered seating for efficiency.
Recent upgrades include a surveillance system purchased from the Youth Challenge Program, which has improved monitoring capabilities. BDCC also offers educational and rehabilitative programs, including HiSET classes, anger management, and substance abuse treatment. One dorm is dedicated to sex offenders, who can participate in specialized programs.
Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College (NLTCC) recently secured a grant to offer training, starting with a heavy equipment operators class for 12 female inmates. Tucker emphasized the importance of expanding opportunities for female inmates, citing limited job prospects in the current work-release program.
“The only job I can offer our female work-releasers is working at a fast food restaurant so, when they get out, they don’t really have a lot of money built up on their books. But if I can get some of them heavy-equipment certified, they can have some money in their pockets when they get out and not have to depend on the same old guy.”
NLTCC is also working toward providing “second chance Pell Grants,” while local organizations like Mercy’s Closet and Regions Bank contribute by providing clothing and financial education. Recovery programs, including AA, are also available. “I’m trying to get every program I can out here,” said Tucker.
Despite the positive initiatives, Tucker acknowledged the presence of high-risk inmates, including gang members, at BDCC. “We do have some of the worst of the worst. A lot of our TTS gang members are out there; the shooting in Dubberly — I’ve got all them out there,” he said, adding that inmates causing disruptions are often transferred.
The Lions Club meets every Thursday at noon at the American Legion Memorial Hall, 119 W. Pine Street, and is seeking new members.