Natchitoches Parish Council filed a 27‑page petition for declaratory judgment and supplemental relief on Thursday in the 10th Judicial District Court, asking the court to clarify the parish’s financial responsibilities for the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center.

Who pays for what?

The council argues that Louisiana law splits jail duties: the parish must provide and maintain the physical jail building, while the sheriff is tasked with operating it. Accordingly, the council says the sheriff should also bear the costs of operating the facility, including salaries and benefits for deputies assigned to jail duties.

The council disputes the parish’s obligation to cover expenses such as janitorial services and other operational costs, which it believes fall under the sheriff’s statutory duties. The petition seeks a court declaration that the parish is only responsible for the building’s physical upkeep, not its day‑to‑day operation.

Per‑day payment dispute

Louisiana law sets a minimum payment of $3.50 per day for each parish prisoner housed in the detention center. The council alleges the sheriff’s office has repeatedly billed the parish at rates exceeding that statutory amount and has failed to provide clear breakdowns showing how costs are divided between parish and non‑parish inmates.

The petition asks the court to require the sheriff to identify the classification of each prisoner on every invoice and to limit charges to those authorized by law.

Out‑of‑parish inmates and higher fees

The detention center, built with parish taxpayer funds, has a capacity of roughly 550 beds. The council says the sheriff’s office entered an Operations and Management Agreement with LaSalle Corrections in August 2024, allowing LaSalle to seek outside prisoners and fill the center, while reserving only 102 beds for Natchitoches Parish pre‑trial detainees.

According to the petition, LaSalle and the Law Enforcement District have contracts with federal agencies and with entities outside Louisiana, including Harris County, Texas, to house prisoners at rates of $70 to $100 per day—far above the $3.50 statutory rate. The council alleges the sheriff moved parish inmates to other jails so the detention center could house higher‑paying out‑of‑parish prisoners, a practice described as “arbitraging” beds for financial gain.

Impact on families and the justice system

The council contends that transferring parish prisoners to other parishes creates logistical problems for courts, making it harder to schedule hearings and trials. It also adds hardship for defendants and their families, who must travel farther to meet attorneys or visit incarcerated relatives.

Legal standards for transfers

Louisiana law permits transferring a parish prisoner to another parish jail only under specific conditions—such as an unsafe facility, a court declaration of unfitness, or a security risk. The council asserts none of those conditions exist at the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center and that the sheriff has failed to give the required 72‑hour notice to the district court before making transfers.

The petition seeks a declaration that the sheriff may transfer prisoners only under the statutory circumstances and that any receiving parish may collect only the $3.50‑per‑day payment.

Classification and billing concerns

The council challenges several billing practices. It says the sheriff has billed the parish for inmates after they have been sentenced and committed to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, for whom the parish should have no payment obligation. It also argues that inmates held solely on municipal charges or on out‑of‑jurisdiction warrants should not be classified as parish prisoners for billing purposes.

Additionally, the council notes that prisoners on probation or parole violations fall under the state’s Probation and Parole Board, and immigration detainees should be billed to the federal immigration authorities, not the parish.

Juvenile and female inmates

The petition alleges the sheriff has been sending all juvenile and female offenders to facilities outside the parish, despite sufficient capacity at the local detention center. The council maintains that the law requires housing these inmates locally when possible, and any costs incurred by sending them elsewhere should be the sheriff’s responsibility.

Relief sought

Among the requested declarations, the council asks the court to affirm that the parish must provide and maintain the jail building but is not required to operate it, to limit per‑day payments to the statutory $3.50 amount, and to require transparent invoicing that distinguishes parish from non‑parish inmates.

The case underscores ongoing tensions between local governing bodies and law‑enforcement agencies over fiscal responsibility, parental‑rights to keep families close to incarcerated loved ones, and adherence to constitutional principles of limited government and transparent use of taxpayer funds.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.