The Forrest County Board of Supervisors has authorized more than $20,000 be spent to replace lighting fixture covers which are being damaged by inmates at the Billy McGee Law Enforcement Complex.
The capital outlay expenditure, which totals $20,400, will pay for the purchase of materials and labor to produce light panels for the lights at the jail. Ace Fabrication, LLC, was the low bidder.
Jail maintenance supervisor Brad Miller told the board during Monday’s meeting that 240 fixtures in the jail will have to replaced due to being damaged by inmates. He noted that about 30 lights are currently broken.
Miller said he had witnessed an inmate wrap his shirt around his hand and smash it through the light.
“They’re tearing everything up,” Miller said. “This has been an ongoing problem since we built the jail. Everything in the building was fixed and three or four months later they’ve already torn them up.”
Prior to the new LED lighting being installed at the jail, Miller said the standard ballasts and regular fluorescent bulbs were also being broken.
“They were able to break them as well,” Board President David Hogan said.
The new light panels will feature raw expanded metal which will be placed over plexiglass to protect the lights. An inmate trying to damage will now be hitting metal.
Miller said the covers look good, but it will be time consuming to replace the fixtures because inmates are going to have to be temporarily moved for the work to be done. He estimates it should take about a month.
District 2 supervisor Charles Marshall asked if there was anything that could be done to prevent damage after the lights are installed.
“I can’t promise you, but I think it will slow it down tremendously. They might can figure out a way,” Miller said.
District 3’s Burkett Ross asked Sheriff Billy McGee if nothing could be done to inmates caught damaging the lights.
He told the board it was a misdemeanor and all that could be done would be to add time to their sentence..
“They don’t care.,” McGee said. “All you can do is give them time for it. These are prisoners who are already waiting to be transported to the penitentiary, so they don’t care.”
District 5 supervisor Chris Bowen suggested fixing just a handful of lights and see how that works before placing all 240 at once. “Why do them all at once?” he asked.
Miller asked about completing work in one pod to see how that works, citing that just five lights might not be in an area where lights are being torn up.
Bowen also questioned whether inmates were going to be able to use the expanded metal as a weapon if they were able to get it loose from the panels.
Miller explained that the covers will be welded to the fixture in two spots and inmates shouldn’t be able to get it off. However supervisors were reminded about a certain type of screw that was used in the jails’ construction and required special tools to be removed and which jail officials were assured inmates would never be able to take off, were loose in two days.
If a light goes out and has to be replaced, the welds will have to be cut. But because the new LED lighting has a five-year life span, Miller hopes it won’t be a regular occurrence. He also said that the fixtures have to be purchased from a special security company.
“We have to slow them down from breaking these lights,” Miller said. “Last year I spent well over $20,000 replacing lights. We’re losing a lot of money.”
The motion was made by District 4 Rod Woullard with a second by Bowen.
In other action, the board:
• Authorized that county offices will be closed on Monday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veteran’s Day;
• Approved and authorized payment of KONE, Inc. for $9,312.16 for the annual maintenance contract for maintenance coverage on the elevators at the Public Defenders Office, Forrest County Circuit Courthouse and the Justice Court Building for a one-year period. Also acknowledged notification from KONE, Inc. regarding a significant increase in the cost of providing services in connection with the county’s contract for the elevator at the old jail facility. KONE will be adjusting the price of the contract by 4.05 percent effective Nov. 1;
• Approved the re-appointment of Cassandra Dillon to the North Forrest Fire Protection District Board for a term ending Dec. 31, 2024;
• Acknowledge and approve carryover balances from FY2019 into FY2020 for each recreation department; Vernon Dahmer Monument Project; and Volunteer Fire Departments Levy and Rebate Funds as requested by Jimmy C. Havard, Chancery Clerk;
• Approved and adopted FY19 final amended budget.
