Conditions at the Webster Parish Jail located at the Webster Parish Courthouse was discussed during Tuesday’s meeting of the Webster Parish Police Jury.
“I think this would be a good time to ask this question, did everybody see the article that the prisoner wrote in the Minden Press-Herald? Talking about how bad the jail is on the 4th floor. I brought that up before, and I know it’s screwed up, and we need to think about that too,” said Police Juror Bernard Hudson of District #5.
In response, Police Jury President Jim Bonsall offered a view of the issue as somewhat tied to incarceration.
“You know what I think? They shouldn’t be up there,” Bonsall said. “I think they ought not be in jail or be taking care of their business, that’s what I think.”
The letter that they were referring to was one written as a Letter to the Editor in which Carol Hardin, an inmate at the Webster Parish Jail, describes the alleged “Deplorable living conditions and severe deterioration of the building,” read her letter.
The letter goes on to describe a list of things wrong with the jail, such as “Black mold is present on the ceilings, window sills, and around the toilets, peeling layers of paint containing lead, asbestos and black mold.”
No firm decisions were made regarding the issue, but Hudson did stress to the other Police Jurors to ponder the topic. “It’s something to think about, neither one of our children will probably ever go up there, but our grandchildren might, our your cousins might,” said Bernard.
