Houma crash kills a local teen
January 31, 2019
Zackary Chearmie
January 31, 2019
The Terrebonne Parish Council has approved a change to the government’s operating budget that will allow payments of up to $1,500,000 to the parish Sheriff’s Office, to cover the cost of housing and supervising inmates at the parish jail.
The agreement between the TPCG and Sheriff Jerry Larpenter was first discussed after a proposed sales tax proposed by the Sheriff failed in a ballot initiative placed before voters in November. The ordinance permitting the budget change was passed last Wednesday during the Council’s regular bi-weekly meeting.
To cope with dwindling revenues over a period of years, Larpenter sent termination notices to 29 deputies effective the end of December. The bulk of those slated for dismissal were correctional officers working at
the Ashland jail, which is operated by the Sheriff but owned by the parish, about a quarter of that force. This resulted in the transfer of about 25 percent of the jail’s inmate to distant parishes, which could have resulted in costs of $3 million or more to the parish, which has responsibility for the housing of inmates. Although the sheriff operate the jail, he I not required to bear the cost of feeding and housing them from his budget.
Although Larpenter has had the ability to ask the parish to bear the costs he incurred over the years the jail has been in operation, he has never done so.
Parish President Gordon Dove came to the conclusion that paying out the $1.5 million for inmate care and housing that Larpenter requested was a better deal for the parish than the costs that would be generated from keeping inmates out-of-town. In addition, costs would have been incurred for transportation of inmates to and from court appearances, with parishes that were going to hold them located more than 200 miles from Houma.
Councilman Dirk Guidry commented during the meeting that as he understood it, the plan would result in “saving over a million dollars.”
A request for information on how and where the money would be used had been sent to Larpenter from Councilwoman Christa Duplantis-Prather; Sher said that he had responded to her inquiry and satisfied her questions.
The Sheriff personally addressed the Council, asking that his response be included in the record.
In his estimation, Larpenter said, the decision by the Council to approve the deal would more likely result in saving to the Parish Government closer to $3 million.
Larpenter also noted that he had been running three separate jails at various points in time. They are the main facility at Ashland, a smaller operation above the Terrebonne Parish courthouse annex, and a new women’s jail that was once the site of the parish’s juvenile detention center.
Totally refurbished through inmates labor, using materials purchased by the parish, the women’s jail is a state-of-the-art facility that Larpenter closed within its first year of operation due to funding problems.
He has expressed hope that the building can be used to house state inmate sentenced to prison time for low-level offenses, for which the Sheriff’s Office is paid by the state. During the entire time that he has operated lock-ups in the parish, Larpenter noted, he has never floated an added millage or other form of additional taxation even though he has the authority to do so if needed.
The ordinance authorizing the expenditure passed unanimously.
At the same meeting the contract for Parish Attorney Julius Hebert was renewed. Parish Councilman Gerald Michel voiced a concern that although Hebert is authorized to represent the Parish Council and advise the council when an opinion is needed, he had concerns about conflicts that could arise between the Council and the Parish President, with whom Hebert has strong ties and routinely advises.
Hebert assured Michel that if he ever perceived the existence of a conflict between his responsibilities to the Parish President and to the Council he would immediately take steps to have another authorized attorney take up the matter.
