Lafourche warden search narrowed to four

Three Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and one out-of-state candidate are being considered for the warden’s post at the parish detention center.

The department’s personnel director, Capt. Renee Brinkley, said interviews are scheduled for tomorrow.

A hire would end the month-long search for a replacement for former warden Capt. Eddie Rodrigue, who retired in June after 18 years of service.

“The person coming in has some pretty big shoes to fill,” Sheriff Craig Webre said.

Those vying to replace Rodrigue include interim warden Lt. Cortrell Davis, Lafourche Parish deputies Michael LeClair and Fred Kirby and Florida native Lester Harmon.

Davis joined the Lafourche sheriff’s office in 1998. He has worked solely in the correctional department and served as assistant warden prior to Rodrigue’s retirement.

“Lt. Davis stepped up when Eddie retired and he has done a pretty good job manning the facility,” Webre said. “But the job is up for grabs. No one has the edge right now.”

LeClair, a deputy since 1999, served as assistant commander of the Lafourche Parish Work Release Center. Kirby, a recent hire, has nearly 15 years experience with the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. He is a correctional officer at the parish detention center.

Harmon has an extensive 25-year background in corrections. He has served as the superintendent of a juvenile detention center, correction manager for an adult detention center and warden of a private prison, according to Brinkley.

Maj. Marty Dufrene, who heads the Lafourche Parish Correctional Department, said running a detention center or prison setting is a difficult task for any individual.

“Being a warden is a tough job. You have to deal with a population of people that, in one case or another, decided that they did not want to follow the letter of the law,” Webre said. “I feel that Eddie did a good job to the best of his ability. Now we need someone who is willing to come in and take us to the next level.”

The incoming warden will be tasked with overseeing the day-to-day operations at the jail, as well as assisting with planning a new facility as the current site is outdated and overcrowded.