Jail expands, project comes in under budget

"This expansion will allow us to bring women prisoners back from St. Charles Parish that will allow us to save money," said Wiley.

Wiley advised that the Sheriff's Office will share revenue with parish government that comes from housing state and federal prisoners.

Wiley said he expects to house a minimum of 100 state and federal prisoners. That revenue will be shared with parish government on a 50-50 basis after expenses, he said.

Wiley also added that the state pays $24.39 a day for each state prisoner the parish incarcerates, and the federal government pays $38 a day for each of its prisoners housed in Ascension.

Webre noted that the jail could now house 564 prisoners. This will ensure that every inmate will have a bed.

In the past years only two jails have been built in Ascension and two expansions since the first jail was built 141 years ago.

"We had to do something about the jail being overcrowded," said Parish councilman Kent Shexnaydre. "We thought of several other ways we could expand before spending the money, and it just came down to having to fund the project."