GREENSBURG - St. Helena Parish is wrapping up upgrades to the parish jail this week.

Money from a capital outlay grant was used to build a prisoner entry sally port which encloses inmates while they're being transported from the vehicle to the jail.

St. Helena officials told News 2 that in the past, inmates have run out of the door and into the street because there was no barrier holding them in. Now, that's less likely to happen.

"They (have) no where to go, or else they are going to be detained by the sally port," said Detective Joe Chaney with the St. Helena Sheriff's Office.

Other upgrades include a a security system that monitors the jail, as well as meeting the requirements to make the jail handicapped accessible.  The total cost of the changes is about $250,000.

Work on the sally port should be complete by Friday.