Sheriff Mark Garber and his jail’s warden, Major Kenny Benoit, appealed to the Parish Council Thursday for more funding, after budget proposals by M-P Monique Boulet’s administration and the City Council looked to cut jail funding by roughly $1.4 million.
In July, the city-parish attorney justified the removal of $375,000 in jail funding from the parish budget, citing state law regarding inmate costs, and the city subsequently cut $1 million from the sheriff’s capital expenses during the budget process.
Garber and Benoit acknowledged that while LCG is following the letter of the law, the lack of an increase in required funding since the 1990s has put the sheriff in a tough position when it comes to maintaining the jail and taking care of inmates…