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.

New Detention Facility

The new jail facility accepted the first inmates on September 23, 2004. The new facility is capable of housing 126 inmates. The new facility has 5 inmate pods and a work release pod. The jail is capable of housing 116 inmates in pods and 10 in work release.

2008 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-2217
Average Daily Count- 97.6
Highest Daily Count-115

2009 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-2148
Average Daily County-95.26
Highest Daily Count-120

2010 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-2005
Average Daily Count-110.51
Highest Daily Count-132

2011 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-1934
Average Daily Count-108.21
Highest Daily County-141

2012 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-2037
Average Daily Count-97
Highest Daily Count-127

2013 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-1945
Average Daily Count-108
Highest Daily Count-138

2014 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-1905
Average Daily Count-114
Highest Daily Count-134

2015 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-1930
Average Daily Count-120
Highest Daily Count-146

2016 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail-2200
Average Daily Count-137
Highest Daily Count-170

2017 Jail Statistics
Total Inmates Booked into the Jail- 2031
Average Daily Count – 125
Highest Daily County – 152

DETENTION STAFF

Jail Administrator – Ben Barnes
Lieutenant Nicole Harmon
Sergeant Maggie Burkhart

The Lafayette County Detention Center employs a mix of commissioned deputies and non-commissioned jailers to directly supervise the inmate population.

E-MAIL: Jail Administrator