A new jail is needed in Warren County, but the Board of Supervisors is making good progress in fixing that, the grand jury meeting this week said in its report filed late Thursday.

The need for a new jail has been at the top of grand jury reports for more than three years.

The jurors’ three other recommendations also echoed other recent jury reports:

• More investigators are needed for the Vicksburg Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the District Attorney’s Office.

• The citizens of Warren County need to contact local legislators to urge them to support reform of the juvenile justice system, since “early intervention in the lives of our youth is the key to substantially reducing the incident of future crime,” the report said.

• Funds should be allocated for properties and space in the county to separate judicial activities from day-to-day business.

The grand jury reported that 86 cases were considered against 109 individuals. Indictments were returned in 78 of the cases, and nine no bills were returned on nine cases involving 12 individuals.

The jurors also had a word for retiring Circuit Judge Frank Vollor, who presided over his final grand jury session. Vollor is retiring from the bench and returning to private practice on May 31.

“We … congratulate Judge Frank Vollor on his upcoming retirement and commend him on his many years of service to Warren County as Circuit Court Judge and we appreciate the dedication and commitment he has shown to our community in that capacity.”

Jurors toured the aging, crowded jail on the final day of their term. The jail is consistently filled to its capacity of 118, with overflow population needing to be farmed out to Issaquena, increasing housing and fuel costs for City of Vicksburg and Warren County taxpayers.

Studies for a new jail have been undertaken for more than 10 years, with more serious and focused studies taking place since August 2007.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com