Cost Increase Puts Mississippi Jail on Hold

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Jackson County supervisors could hold off on construction of a much-needed 500-bed adult detention center as rising cost estimates for the project top $19 million.

When the 96,000-square-foot jail was first proposed, initial estimates placed the cost at $10 million, officials say. However, cost estimates for the 548-bed facility have more than doubled amid rising regional construction costs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Supervisors could take a wait-and-see approach before approving construction in the hope that construction market pressures and commodity costs, such as for materials and labor costs, fall back to pre-Katrina levels as the region returns to normal.

The county is seeking to build a new detention center adjacent to the existing facility, which was built in the 1970s with a capacity of 180 prisoners. The county currently houses about 400 inmates.

Officials had expected to open a temporary modular facility that would house more than 100 inmates by spring 2006, but the structure has not been completed.

With legal action or federal intervention a potential threat for any jurisdiction struggling to handle chronic overcrowding and significant budgetary constraints, the proposed adult detention center remains a priority for Jackson County supervisors, according to reports.