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County jail sees shorter stays, opioid-medication grant revenue and considers health-monitoring technology for cells
Summary
County staff reported the jail’s bookings are increasingly misdemeanor-related and shorter in length, lowering supplies costs; staff also described grant revenue for opioid-use-disorder medications and briefed commissioners on cell-mounted health monitors under consideration amid insurer pressure.
Cowlitz County jail officials told commissioners the jail’s inmate population is experiencing shorter average stays because a larger share of bookings are for misdemeanors, and that shift has reduced supplies spending. "It's the type of crimes they're being arrested for. So we're we're seeing a lot of misdemeanors," Marin (no last name given) said when asked why supplies use is down.
Financial context: staff said the jail has budgeted $1.1 million for supplies and has spent about $370,000 year to date, and that services spending includes contracted inmate medical care budgeted at roughly $2.5 million. Intergovernmental revenue includes federal and state grants: staff said roughly $19,000 of $235,000 received so far is for a nutrition program and that the remainder reflects a grant for medications for opioid use disorder. Staff added that cities’ room-and-board billings were paid through May and that June and July billings could increase receipts by about $500,000.
Health monitoring technology under consideration: commissioners discussed county interest in in-cell health-monitoring systems following presentations at a risk-pool conference. Marin said the county has selected a cell-mounted monitor option over wearable devices and that funding from the county risk pool would initially cover approximately six monitors; she cautioned there are ongoing costs and that the county needs to review long-term funding. "If they are going to require us to have those, we would have to use the wearable. It would be a really significant cost to the county," Marin said, noting insurers are signaling they may require monitoring as a condition of coverage in some jurisdictions.
Next steps: Marin said the county will tour Chelan County’s implementation at month’s end and will return to the board for further discussion of costs and scope. Commissioners asked about using opioid grant funds to offset monitor costs; Marin said Chelan used opioid funds for a broader deployment. No procurement or purchase decision was taken at the meeting.
Ending note: staff noted the jail has 49 FTE with six vacancies and that when the second half of July payroll posts, personnel costs are expected to be near budgeted levels.
