LAFAYETTE PARISH — Residents are demanding answers about a proposed jail in Lafayette Parish, citing concerns over transparency, funding, and the impact on surrounding communities.
At a public meeting held Monday evening, dozens of residents gathered to urge Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) to provide more information about the jail project, including its design, location, cost, and programming.
“What will this jail look like, what will it entail? What types of educational programming will there be provided to those who are incarcerated to make them better men and women than they were when they went in?” said Consuela Gaines of VOTE (Voice of the Experienced), one of the community organizations that hosted the event.
The new jail was first announced nearly three years ago by then-Mayor-President Josh Guillory as a public-private partnership involving LCG. The proposed site for the facility is on Willow Street, near the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office Transitional Housing Unit, which is run by the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office Corrections Division. The area includes residential properties, businesses and primary schools.
Some residents are questioning whether the location was chosen based on socioeconomic factors.
“They're gonna put the jail somewhere where they think that our quality of life is already the way it is, so it doesn't matter to us. So we put the jail over here and then we have prime real estate and we can develop downtown next to our new hotel — that's what it's about,” one resident said during the meeting.
Since the project's initial announcement, little information has been released about its current status, including construction progress, projected costs, or details on inmate capacity and rehabilitation programs.
Dr. Chris Williams, who helped organize Monday’s meeting, said the community deserves to be involved in the decision-making process.
“From day one, our conversation has centered on location — but not only location, [also] what type of facility we're looking at,” Williams said. “Our goal is to simply have a discussion with those who decided that we were going to move forward.”
Public records confirm that the land was purchased on Willow Street for the new jail, but no comprehensive plans have been shared with the public.
City Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux addressed the concerns, clarifying the city's role.
“The Lafayette City Council is not responsible for building or funding the prison,” Boudreaux said. “The only funding I'm aware of at this point is a state allocation, and that is pending. The parish of Lafayette is obligated to provide a parish jail. As far as funding is concerned, that receivership will be dependent on that administration and city council.”
Residents and organizers say they will continue to call for public meetings and greater accountability as the project moves forward.
