COVINGTON, La. -- St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis is calling for an independent review of the St. Tammany Parish Jail.
Davis took a three hour tour of the jail Wednesday, and he told reporters he now wants outside, independent experts, probably a national company, to do the review.
"I have some concerns in reference to security at the jail," Davis said, "so what I'm recommending at this point is that I'll bring in a third party review the facility from all aspects."
The first order of business, Davis said, is the installation of roughly 200 feet of new fencing around the jail. The fencing will cost the parish $15,000 and run from the sallyport to the exercise yard.
Sheriff Jack Strain said he agrees with bringing in an outside expert.
Strain asked the jail's builder, Richard Lambert, to do a review, and a Lambert team toured the jail last week. But Wednesday, Lambert's subcontractor, Thomas Holden, sent a letter to Strain saying they will not participate in this investigation of the jail.
"If he don't understand the gravity of the issue that we're dealing with, then I would find that surprising," Strain said. "This is what he does for a living. If he got offended because I said we need to find the problem and address it, then he doesn't need to be involved. I think, with this type of behavior, it would have been better for us to initially try to find a third party and bring them in.
Davis said he's not just concerned with the physical structure of the jail, but the operation as well. He said he'll look for someone with expertise in both areas.
Five inmates, all accused of either murder or attempted murder, have successfully escaped from the St. Tammany Parish Jail in the past year.
Davis said he hopes to find that independent group to do the review within the next three or four days.
