Ground has been broken on a new women’s jail in Webster Parish, a facility that will replace the aging jail located on the fourth floor of the Webster Parish Courthouse.
The new facility, estimated to cost $5,120,000, is scheduled for completion by mid-2026. The project is being funded through a partnership between the Webster Parish Police Jury and the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, with a portion of the funding coming from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Architectural and engineering services are being provided by Cothren, Graff, Smoak Engineering, Inc., while construction is being handled by Testament Construction Services, LLC.
The new facility will house a similar number of inmates as the current jail, which officials say is in very poor repair.
Warden Scott Tucker said staffing for the new facility will remain consistent, with current staff transferring from the old center to the new site. “Staffing will remain the same as it is now with the staff just moving to the new location,” Tucker said. “We follow DOC guidelines on female inmates.”
The facility will also offer expanded inmate programming. “We are planning on providing HiSET (GED), substance abuse [programs], possibly IC3 (Microsoft),” Tucker said. “We are also working with Northwest Tech on classes as well.”
The new women’s prison is expected to provide updated accommodations and better resources for both inmates and staff while continuing to operate under Department of Corrections standards.
