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The former Lafayette County
Jail was built in 1939 by the Federal Works Administration under
President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A law enforcement tax that was passed in
2002 provided funds to construct a new facility that was completed in
2005.
The old Lafayette County
Jail was capable of holding 72 inmates, though for safety reasons, the
maximum number held was usually no more than 60. The jail was divided into
three sections that allowed minimal separation of inmates.
All persons arrested for
crimes in Lafayette County were housed in the jail. We held those arrested
for all of the local police agencies, the Missouri State Highway Patrol,
the Conservation Department and all Federal agencies making arrests in our
County.
All inmate movements
were done manually by deputies. The new
facility will allow inmate movement to be done by remote electronic doors
and video cameras that require little or no physical inmate handling, allowing for a
safer working environment for the deputies.
The jail is also
responsible for inmate preparation for court appearances. Bailiffs
(deputies assigned to work in the courts) monitor the inmate from the time
they leave the jail until their return from court. As well, an extradition
deputy travels around the country transporting Lafayette County inmates
from other jurisdictions where they were arrested on Lafayette County
warrants.
The main objective of
the jail is to provide a secure facility and insure a safe community. Their
diligence is of the utmost importance. This is one of the most
dangerous jobs in law enforcement.
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