MERIDIAN, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) – The Lauderdale County grand jury wants county leaders to prepare to move the jail out of downtown Meridian. Jurors also told Meridian police to review old felony cases.
Those points are in the jury’s November 2026 final report, dated Wednesday. Jurors met for three days and heard from 16 witnesses.
They returned 117 true bills of indictment. They also returned eight no true bills.
What those numbers mean
A grand jury does not decide if someone is guilty. Instead, jurors look at the evidence and decide if a case should move forward.
A true bill means jurors voted to charge someone. So an indictment is a formal charge, not a conviction. A no true bill means jurors did not vote to charge.
The report does not name anyone who was indicted. However, it does say at least 12 jurors agreed on each indictment. At least 15 jurors were present for all deliberations, it says.
Jail move and raises
Jurors inspected the Lauderdale County Detention Facility and found it “clean and orderly.” Even so, they urged the Board of Supervisors to plan ahead.
“Prepare to move the jail from downtown and consider a juvenile housing option when building a new jail,” the report says.
Jurors also said paint should come off the floors so the concrete is bare. In addition, they said the sheriff’s budget should go up so correctional officers can get raises.
The idea is not new. In August, another grand jury called for a new jail and said sites outside downtown should get priority. That jury also backed raises for correctional officers and deputies.
Jurors made a similar call in 2018. The current jail was built in 1998 and can hold up to 290 people.
Where the jail plan stands
Supervisors took a first step in May. They passed a resolution of intent with Benchmark Construction Company. The county said the move shows interest but does not commit the county and does not cost anything.
At that time, board President Josh Todd said the county did not have money for a new jail. However, he said the early work would help later on.
“I think we need to be ready instead of getting ready,” Todd said.
Sheriff Ward Calhoun told WTOK in May that no site had been picked.
Juvenile housing has also been part of the talks. The county says Mississippi has less than a dozen juvenile detention centers. Also, the cost to house a juvenile can top $100 a day, not counting travel. Supervisor Craig Houston said he wants any jail plan to include a solution.
What jurors told Meridian police
The report has two requests for the Meridian Police Department. First, it says newly promoted supervisors should understand the rules of the civil service commission.
“Supervisors need to be trained to supervise subordinates for success,” the report says.
Second, jurors said the “current administration” should review “all old, pending felony crimes.” They want to be sure those cases have been reassigned so they can be prosecuted.
The report does not say how many cases that means. It also does not name any case, officer or supervisor.
Malachi Sanders became police chief in July 2025. In April, he said the department had grown from 42 to 80 officers since then.
Grand juries have weighed in on the department before. In April 2024, one called for more detective training. Then in August 2024, another made no recommendations for the department.
What happens next
The report does not set a deadline or give a cost. It also does not mention the inmate transport bus.
In August, jurors called the bus’s lack of air conditioning dangerous. They asked the county to look at other options before the November session.
Residents can share their views with local leaders. The county posts its board meeting schedule online, along with phone numbers for county offices.
