LAFAYETTE PARISH — A legal battle dating back to 2019 is once again making headlines in Lafayette Parish, as tensions rise between the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office (LPSO) and Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) over jail-related fees.
The lawsuit, originally filed by Sheriff Mark Garber, alleges that LCG failed to pay state-mandated costs for the housing, medical care, feeding, and clothing of inmates. At the time, Joel Robideaux served as mayor-president.
LCG formally denied those claims in 2022 through a countersuit, stating in court filings: “There is no statutory mandate by the parish to pay the housing, medical, and keeping expenses associated with these non-parish prisoners.”
LCG went further—accusing the Sheriff’s Office of overbilling and poor accounting.
“The parish shows that the Sheriff's Office has an affirmative obligation to reimburse costs paid by the parish, for which the parish was not legally obligated to pay by statute or otherwise, or for which the parish overpaid due to poor accounting practices of the Sheriff's Office,” the filing states.
LCG claims it made payments “over and above” what was legally required under state law, and is seeking either reimbursement or a credit for those alleged overpayments.
Though the Lafayette City Council is not directly involved in the lawsuit, Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux offered insight on the broader issue and how it’s impacting current budget conversations.
“There has been questions on is it mandatory that the city pay to incarcerate individuals in the Parish Jail—that’s a question everybody is trying to get answered, and in fact, if there is a mandate, what is that cost,” Boudreaux said.
He noted that the matter will be further examined during upcoming budget discussions.
“Right now the city has $1.2 million in the budget for capital which was originally designed to put individuals in the jail because at one time the city of Lafayette decided to close down the jail,” Boudreaux added.
The lawsuit’s reemergence also brings fresh attention to the capacity and condition of the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. In a recent presentation, the Sheriff’s Office addressed ongoing space issues and the strain on jail operations.
Sheriff Garber stated:
“The Sheriff has no control over the capacity of the jail, its population, or the duration each inmate might be held within the jail.”
Boudreaux echoed concerns about the condition of the facility.
“There has been talks about the ability to maintain that aging facility, there are still a lot of questions that remain,”Boudreaux said.
