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Champaign County approves pilot to fund 24/7 inmate medical coverage from jail commissary
Summary
The county board approved a $182,782 budget amendment to pilot round‑the‑clock nursing coverage at the Champaign County Jail using inmate commissary funds; supporters said it could reduce liability and improve care, while members urged follow‑up analysis on long‑term costs.
Champaign County board members on March 11 approved a budget amendment to use jail commissary funds to pilot 24‑7 nursing coverage at the Champaign County Jail.
The pilot — approved by the board as budget amendment BUA 2025‑3‑10 for $182,782 — will expand the current inmate health contract to provide at least one registered nurse on site at all hours beginning in May and continuing through the end of fiscal year 2025, with remaining months of the pilot to be paid from the commissary fund, the sheriff’s office told the board.
Board members said the move is not coming from the county’s general fund and that a legal opinion supports using commissary funds for inmate welfare. Sheriff’s Office staff explained that commissary revenues come from sales of optional items such as snacks and other inmate purchases and that state law requires…
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