Sulphur Jail Inmate Search

Constructed in 1982, the Sulphur City Jail in Sulphur, Louisiana provides inmate housing for local law violators. Located in Calcasieu Parish on the southwestern border of Louisiana, it lies within the Lake Charles, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area near the border of Texas.

This small town jail began housing residents as soon as construction was completed. It houses male and female prisoners in separate areas, dividing them according to the crime committed, their behavior and a risk assessment. It houses inmates for both the Sulphur City Jail Police Department and other agencies within the Calcasieu Parish County judicial district.

The structure itself boasts a minimalist design. This one story, contemporary building blends form and function. Its dark gray form stretches for most a city block, also housing the police station. The corrections area incarcerates adults charged with committing a crime or crimes. These consist of sentenced inmates and pre-trial detainees. A large parking lot accommodates both visitor parking and cruisers and larger vehicles for inmate transports for travel to court appearances and medical appointments. The structure has a patio with plantings. It is a windowed ranch style one-story with a landscaped yard. The structure looks nothing like a traditional jail or prison, resembling a contemporary office building. It features a semi-circular, one way driveway in the front. Pebbled sidewalk and walkways surround it.

The facility is larger than most small town jails out of necessity. Sulphur, LA has a higher crime rate than the rest of the state – 28 percent higher than the state’s average crime rate. Compared to the national average, the crime rate in Sulphur is 74 percent higher than the rest of the US. It has a lower violent crime rate than the rest of Louisiana, but a far higher property crime rate – 34 percent higher. An average of 13.51 daily crimes occur in the town, so the jail stays relatively full. Those housed here long-term typically serve a one-year sentence or less and usually for misdemeanors or because they are repeat nuisance criminals. Those housed before sentencing may qualify for bail bond. The facility has a bail bonding area.

Longer term inmates typically get transferred to a federal or state prison operated by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or Louisiana Department of Corrections. This will depend on bed space and the schedule mandated by the court. There is no time frame given for the transfer, the factors include bed space, logistics and timing for the police, sheriff or marshals to securely conduct the transport.

In its more than 37 years as a structure it has not experienced a jail break, a testament to the security at the complex. The rather staid history of the jail proves a marked contrast to the high crime rate of the area. No celebrities have been incarcerated at Sulphur County Jail. You can check on the status of current inmates by visiting the town’s police website at http://www.sulphur.lavns.org. It provides the name, gender, race, date of birth and arrest date of each current inmate.