Templeman V has sat empty since the new jail opened in 2015.
But the old holding facility is getting a new lease on life as Sheriff Marlin Gusman is renovating the building as a temporary holding facility for inmates who have been exposed to COVID-19 coronavirus.
The building has capacity to hold 125 inmates who’ve been recently arrested and need segregation due to their exposure to the virus.
Gusman has quite a job ahead of him.
The Sheriff will need to renovate numbers of cells as well get the building’s plumbing, flooring and air conditioning systems operational by the end of October in order to go on line.
Gusman’s office says the building will operate just temporarily to meet a demand by the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
FEMA is also funding the renovation work.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is supporting the renovation.
“When Sheriff Gusman very recently notified the Mayor of his independent request to FEMA regarding a Templeman V renovation, the Mayor reiterated the importance of taking every precaution necessary to protect the health and safety of Orleans Parish residents during this unprecedented global pandemic,” said the spokeswoman, LaTonya Norton told the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate.
Sheriff Gusman sees Templeman V as the initial intake facility.
Inmates would be held in the facility after booking. T
They would be given a COVID-19 test and stay at the temporary facility until a negative finding would allow them to move to the jail.
Inmates with a positive test would remain at the facility housed in separate cells.
The move to renovate and repurpose Templeman V stems from the Orleans Parish Jail’s inability to adequately house infected inmates following the initial outbreak of COVID-19.