Leflore County's looking at constructing a more than $2 million sheriff's administration building in Greenwood Leflore Industrial Park over the next couple of years.
The Board of Supervisors resolved to go forward with the project Monday, initializing preliminary plans presented by Jackson architects Bill McElroy and Ralph Maisel.
McElroy told the board the total costs should be $2.26 million for the 15,000-square-foot, one-story office and courtroom building, which is being called the Leflore County Justice Center.
Supervisors voted 4-0 to proceed. District 4 Supervisor Wayne Self was absent.
"Since we have gone to moving the jail out there, we do have to have a sheriff on location with those prisoners," District 1 Supervisor Phil Wolfe said.
The board, under a federal court order to provide more space for prisoners, originally planned to construct a new jail and sheriff's offices in a complex at the then-empty Delta Correctional Facility.
After Delta Correctional was revived in April 2004, the county contracted with Corrections Corporation of America to convert a pod into a jail that now houses state and county prisoners, as well as those from Greenwood.
The old jail, which the county intends to convert for other uses, and the Sheriff's Department are located at the courthouse.
Plans for the Justice Center include a public lobby; areas where inmates may be visited, examined for medical reasons and interrogated; other Sheriff's Department offices; a 911 operations area; and a courtroom for Leflore County Justice Court. The courtroom plans include seating for 60. The Sheriff's Department plans include a secure arsenal room, a secure evidence vault and a muster room.
Sheriff Ricky Banks said today that his department had three deputies when he came to work there in 1972. Now, it has 18. Evidence is kept in his office, and confiscated guns, in a closet.
"We need to come into this century," he said.
He noted that it is possible that the county might one day resume running the jail, and if that were to happen, having the Sheriff's Department at the jail would be essential.
He also said proximity is important now. "When we have trouble in the jail, then the deputies have to come inside," Banks said.
McElroy, in his presentation to the board, broke down expenses. The estimates are: building and parking pad, $97,000; asphalt paving, $42,000; building shell-out, $489,500; and interior build-out, $1,069,120. These add up to total construction costs of $1,696,620. Other fees would tack on $559,885, bringing the total to $2,256, 505.
In other business, Jesse Taylor, director of the Juvenile Detention Center, said Judge Solomon Osborne has ordered the release of juveniles held in the center because a fire alarm system there has not been working.
He told the board a new system was being installed Monday.
The Detention Center was closed from Feb. 18-22 and then reopened with a temporary alarm system. The center was closed again Monday for the installation of the new system.
Banks said he understands seven Leflore County juveniles were released. Juveniles from out of town were collected by the counties that were paying to house them at the center.
Banks said, "We had a fire over there. One of the juveniles took some paper, and maybe some cloth, and stuck it up in the air duct. When he did that, the smoke went all over the building. The fire alarm system didn't go off."
An inspection by Greenwood fire officials resulted in the demand for a new alarm system that meets fire codes.
Board actions Monday also included a resolution supporting state bills that would name U.S. 49 from Fort Pemberton to Tutwiler for Emmett Till, the Chicago youth who was murdered after flirting with a female store clerk in Money 50 years ago. The resulting trial in Sumner helped launch the civil rights movement.
The board also decided to hire Greenwood attorney W.M. Sanders to prosecute Justice Court cases involving District 5 Supervisor Larry "Kite" Johnson. The county's prosecuting attorney, Richard Oakes, had stepped aside, saying he had a conflict of interest because of his ongoing request to the board for a salary increase.
Willie Powell, 21, 105 Maple, has charged Johnson, 42, of Swan Drive, with simple assault, and Johnson has charged Powell with petit larceny. The charges stem from an incident in January at Johnson's Spotlite Skating Rink on U.S. 49. A Justice Court trial date was awaiting the assignment of a prosecutor.
