Sheriff Wright Countersues Natchitoches Parish Government Over Jail Funding and Inmate Costs
By Journal Staff
NATCHITOCHES, La. — In an escalating legal clash over local corrections funding, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff R. Stuart Wright has formally countersued the Natchitoches Parish Government, asking a state district court to force the parish to pay for housing, transporting and providing medical care to parish detainees.
The filing, submitted Oct. 14 in the 10th Judicial District Court by attorneys representing Wright and the Natchitoches Parish Law Enforcement District, serves as both an answer to the parish government’s original lawsuit and a reconventional demand.
The sheriff argues that under Louisiana law, parish governing authorities bear the non-delegable duty to fund, build and maintain a “good and sufficient jail,” as well as cover the total day-to-day costs of feeding, clothing and treating parish inmates. Wright contends parish leaders have abdicated that responsibility for nearly two decades, leaving the sheriff’s office to absorb the financial burden.
- Read the Full Legal Filing: View the Sheriff’s Answer and Reconventional Demand (PDF)
- Related Coverage: Natchitoches Parish Government Files Lawsuit Over Inmate Housing Costs
Decades-Long Dispute Resurfaces
The countersuit draws heavily upon a previous dispute between the two entities. In 2008, former Sheriff Victor E. Jones Jr. filed suit against what was then the Natchitoches Parish Police Jury over unpaid inmate expenses.
The filing includes a 2009 ruling by Judge Ad Hoc Alfred A. Mansour recognizing the parish police jury’s statutory responsibilities to provide a jail and pay certain prisoner expenses. However, the ruling did not determine the amounts owed, leaving those financial questions unresolved at that stage of the litigation.
Following that litigation, the parties reached a compromise reserving 80 beds for parish detainees, an agreement the sheriff eventually terminated. To replace it, the sheriff negotiated an arrangement reserving 102 beds at the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center (NPDC) at a rate of $26.39 per inmate per day.
According to the new court documents, that per diem has remained unchanged even after the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections raised its reimbursement rate to $29.39 per day. Wright’s attorneys noted the detention facility itself was financed via revenue bonds backed by state Department of Corrections housing revenue, rather than parish property tax collections.
Claims of Arbitrage and Statutory Caps Rejected
In his response, Wright directly disputed allegations that the sheriff’s office profits from out-of-parish inmates or engages in bed “arbitrage” to enrich the agency.
“The Sheriff does not, in short, arbitrage the beds at the NPDC,” the filing states, noting the sheriff receives no funds or cuts from the private prison management company operating the center. Instead, the filing argues the operational arrangement spares parish taxpayers millions of dollars required to build, staff and maintain an entirely separate local facility.
The sheriff also rejected claims by parish government officials attempting to cap daily per diem expenses at $3.50 under Louisiana Revised Statute 13:5535. Citing multiple Louisiana attorney general opinions and appellate rulings, Wright’s attorneys argue that Louisiana’s $3.50 statutory per diem is a minimum payment requirement, not a cap on the parish’s financial obligations. They cite attorney general opinions and court decisions supporting their position that governing authorities remain responsible for legally required prisoner expenses.
The sheriff’s attorneys maintain that the existing detention center is not equipped to house female or juvenile detainees in compliance with applicable detention standards, requiring alternative housing arrangements.
“The simple fix for these issues is for the NPG to actually perform its obligation to provide a ‘good and sufficient jail’ to house all its detainees, including juveniles and women,” the filing argues.
Relief Sought
Sheriff Wright is asking the 10th Judicial District Court to issue a declaratory judgment reaffirming the parish’s mandatory obligations to fund jail operations, routine maintenance and capital expenditures.
Additionally, the sheriff seeks an enforceable monetary judgment compelling the parish government to:
- Reimburse all past-due detainee housing costs incurred by the sheriff’s office.
- Fully cover current and future medical expenses and outside healthcare provider bills for parish detainees.
- Pay mandated state transportation mileage and deputy conveyance fees for shuttling detainees between courts, healthcare providers and outside detention facilities.
Wright is represented by H. Bradford Calvit, John D. Ryland and Eli J. Meaux of the Alexandria-based law firm Provosty, Sadler & deLaunay, APC. The parish government is represented by James L. Bradford of Daigle Fisse & Kessenich, PLC.