Scott County officials review detention center budget as inmate numbers rise, consider long-term options

Scott County Fiscal Court reviewed a draft detention-center budget and heard detailed figures about current inmate counts and out-of-county housing costs that officials said are driving a projected increase in next year’s request.

The jailer, Joe Burrow, submitted a draft budget before April 1 that will be part of the county’s FY 2026 budget process. Court members discussed a requested increase that officials described as roughly $150,000 to cover out‑of‑county inmate housing costs beyond the current allocation.

Court members said the jail’s in‑house population runs about 110–115 on many days and that roughly 32–33 people were being housed outside Scott County, which court members and the jailer said increases recurring costs for transport, booking and property processing. The court heard that current annual budget authority for out‑of‑county housing is about $350,000 and that the additional request is intended to cover continued growth and day‑to‑day variability.

Burrow told the court that the facility remains crowded at times and that staff have taken steps to avoid unsafe conditions by incrementally sending inmates to other counties rather than moving large groups at once. He also described operational impacts when inmates are housed elsewhere, including the additional staff time required to process transfers and coordinate property and bookings.

Court members pressed for options to reduce recurring costs, including comparing contract rates at other facilities and continuing outreach to state legislators and county associations to seek funding. A county estimate presented at the meeting used a $35 million capital figure as a working example: if bonded for 25 years the illustrative annual debt service was shown as about $2.3 million, with total principal and interest of about $57.5 million over the bond term. Court members said they are not prepared to commit to a multi‑decade debt service amount without further analysis and state funding prospects.

The jailer also said that the Kentucky Department of Corrections previously allowed lower‑security state inmates to be housed in a separated “class D” area or a detached building, but that allowance was removed about three to four years ago; the change reduced flexibility for local facilities to segregate lower‑risk state inmates from the main jail population.

The court did not take a final action to change facility capacity or to approve bonding at the meeting; instead members asked staff to continue evaluating potential cost savings, to identify alternative housing contracts and to report back during the budget cycle.

Burrow also highlighted staff performance and inspections, saying the facility has had no deaths reported recently and praising correctional staff for their handling of safety and care under crowded conditions.

Court members instructed staff to return with cost comparisons and other options before adopting a final FY 2026 budget position.