By Jason C. Mattox

If things go according to plan for interim Sheriff Otis Griffin, the David M. Bryan Justice Complex could soon house federal inmates.

Griffin said the idea of housing federal inmates at the jail is nothing new, but the process is further along now than it has been in the past.

The sheriff said the idea was discussed with late sheriff Hugh “Shot” Bright, “but it never got to this point then,” he said.

Griffin, who is seeking a first term as sheriff, formally introduced the idea last week, when county supervisors were reviewing his proposed budget for the sheriff’s department and jail.

Griffin told The Panolian he has met with the U.S. Marshals Service to discuss the possibility of the jail being approved for federal inmates.

“With the expansion and the number of beds, we would be able to house 100 to 110 without a problem,” he said.

The jail’s maximum capacity is 244 inmates, and currently 108 prisoners are being held at the facility.

Sixty of those are state inmates including trusties.

Griffin said during discussions with the U.S. Marshals Service, violent inmates were not discussed as being housed at the jail.

“When we talked, mostly we were discussing the white collar type prisoners,” he said. “We have not discussed the possibility of housing the drug dealers and violent offenders.”

The sheriff said the biggest reason for his interest in the federal inmates is because the additional funding could allow the jail to become self-sufficient.

“Right now, we are housing state inmates, and they are paying us $20 a day,” Griffin said. “We have been told, based on our operating expenses to house the prisoners, that we would be paid between $65 and $80 daily, per (federal) inmate.”

If the jail houses 100 federal inmates at $65 per day, the sheriff’s department would generate $2.3 million in revenue, or more than the expected $2.1 million dollar budget at the sheriff’s department.

“That would mean that in a few years, we could become self-sufficient and not have to operate on taxpayer dollars,” he said. “I also want to see us pay for the recent jail expansion without it costing the taxpayers more than they have already paid.”

Griffin said just because he wants to see the department operate without tax dollars, it would not mean a reduction in services to the people of Panola County.

“Just because we are planning to become self-sufficient does not mean the people of Panola County will be less of a priority for us,” he said. “The people of Panola County will always be a top priority.”

The sheriff said the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department currently houses federal inmates, and that department operates without tax revenue.

Griffin said the approval to house federal inmates would mean hiring two deputies to serve as transporters, four additional jailers and one secretary.

“The transporters would be the ones responsible for making sure the federal inmates get to court or the doctor,” he said. “And their mileage would be repaid to us.”

As for when the jail might begin housing federal inmates, Griffin said the application process should be completed by the end of August, and approval could come prior to the start of the county’s new fiscal year October 1.

“We have been advised that we would probably start out housing 50 federal inmates with the numbers increasing to the maximum we can handle,” the sheriff said.

Griffin said the county would have to approve the move to house federal inmates before a contract could be signed between the U.S. Marshals Service and the sheriff’s department.

“This is a win-win situation for all of us involved,” he said.