Detention center to maintain virus measures

Even as the state of Louisiana continues to loosen its coronavirus mitigation measures, the Lincoln Parish Detention Center has not relaxed its strict protocols to protect inmates and staff, Warden Jim Tuten told members of the prison’s governing commission Wednesday.

All non-essential visitors have been barred from the facility since March 11, 12 days before the state’s stay-at-home order first went into effect. All inmates have their temperatures checked at every meal, three times a day. Staff and anyone else entering the building have their temperatures checked as well.

“We are one of 11 jails in the state of Louisiana who have no positive cases of COVID-19,” Tuten said.

He said not every inmate has been specifically tested for the novel coronavirus, but their temperatures are constantly checked, and no one has exhibited symptoms.

“We have nurses on staff,” Tuten told an attendee during the commission meeting. “We have had no one show any signs or symptoms. No inmate has had an elevated temperature above 99 since we started checking on March 11.”

All protective measures put into place in March are still in effect at the detention center, except that public fingerprinting services resumed with extra precautions on Monday, and a previous travel ban on prison employees has since been lifted.

Louisiana is currently in Phase Two of reopening, meaning almost all previously closed establishments can be open to 50% of their maximum capacity. But Tuten said the virus is still too prevalent to risk returning jail operations to normal.

“I can’t tell you when we’ll change these requirements,” he said. “I look every day at the daily (coronavirus) numbers for this region, and as you know our region numbers are still going up. I think it’s important for the safety and health of our inmates and our staff that we continue to monitor and control who has access to that facility.”

According to the Louisiana Department of Health, the number of confirmed cases in Lincoln Parish since the outbreak began rose by nine from Tuesday to Wednesday and by three from Wednesday to Thursday, standing at 196 at that time.

The case count has risen by more than 20 this week as testing efforts continue to increase.

To make up for the lack of in-person visitation, Tuten said the jail has opened its video visitation 24 hours a day, rather than closing at 11 p.m. like normal. Phone hours have also been extended.

The visitation ban also includes attorneys, so the prison added a dedicated, nonrecorded phone line for lawyers to continue to meet with inmates.

Detention center staff members are also screening new arrestees before they enter the facility, along with the officers who bring them in.

“All new people being arrested are met outside the building,” Tuten said. “Our deputies are gowned, masked and gloved with a face shield on. They do a temperature check and a medical questionnaire before anyone enters the building. That includes the arresting officers.”

While the prison turned away a handful of arrestees in late March who were running fevers and had visited hot zones of the virus, it still stands ready to quarantine any serious offender who may have COVID-19.

After previously struggling with overcrowding, the 241-bed detention center stood at 232 total inmates as of Wednesday morning.

Tuten said that’s due in part to a concerted effort from the Lincoln Parish Sheriff ’s Office and the Ruston Police Department during the initial months of the pandemic to only arrest “those people who have to be arrested for violent crimes.”