Green Oaks Detention Center

Citizen’s Advisory Committee

Proposal for Funding

The Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the Green Oaks Detention Center recommends that an issue be placed on the July 2006 ballot asking voters to approve a 2.91 mill renewal to fund operations and necessary improvements to Green Oaks Detention Center for the next 10 years.

Due to the increase in assessment values and the existing fund balance, no increase in the millage is necessary. We also propose that a separate issue be placed on the July, 2006 ballot asking voters to approve .30 mills for five years to fund the addition of the Juvenile Court Detention Alternative Center. A review of funds generated by this proposal should be conducted to see if a “roll back” of this millage is possible.

This proposal allows the police jury to consider a 2.5% salary adjustment every other year during the next 10 years. A 3% inflation factor on all other expenses is included. At the end of the 10-year period, the fund balance is projected to be approximately $1.2 million (enough to operate facility for 6 months).

We have completed a study of the facility and the efficiency of operations and find that the facility operates at near maximum efficiency. We believe that this strategy will be in the best interest of the future of Green Oaks Detention Center and citizens and businesses of Ouachita Parish.

We have gathered information about the admission counts and average detainees per time period. Since 1998 the average admission count has increased 80.7%. However, the average number of detainees per day has remained constant (ranging from 29.2 to 27.7). This increase in admissions but constant average daily count is attributed to the formation and location of the juvenile court facilities to Green Oaks campus.

During this same time period we have seen an increase in admissions for female detainees from 92 in 1998 to 259 in 2004 – an increase of 181.5%. This change in demographics impacts the housing needs and staffing of the facility. If this trend continues, the current facility is not adequate to provide space needed to house these female detainees. Therefore, we recommend the addition of the new eight-bed wing to the facility which can now be funded from existing funds.

After visiting with the judges and Mr. Rhodes, we feel that future boarding facility needs will be reduced due to the ability of judges to release detainees directly to programs designed to monitor rehabilitation through the Detention Alternative Center. The diversion programs would be housed in the new administration building allowing judges to send detainees to appropriate programs immediately after their hearings. We ask that any agency housed in the new building be required to include requests for rent expense in the next grant proposal. This rent expense would be an amount negotiated by the jury and paid to Green Oaks Detention Center.

This proposal was approved by Citizen’s Advisory Committee members in attendance at the 11/15/05 meeting. If the jury votes to proceed with this recommendation, this committee will begin immediately to determine how we can best be used to promote positive community awareness and help pass the needed funding for the center.