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Jail administrator: Marathon County reduces out-of-county housing, reaches 80% in-house capacity
Summary
The county jail reduced reliance on distant out-of-county beds and increased in‑house population to 223 (about 80% of the 279-bed facility) after new contracts and negotiations; the administrator said new relationships with Waupaca and Taylor counties cut per‑inmate costs and produced estimated annual savings.
Marathon County's new jail administrator told the Public Safety Committee on May 6 that the jail has reduced its use of distant out‑of‑county beds and is operating near the state guideline of 80% in‑house capacity.
Lucas Volden, the county's jail administrator, said the facility has a maximum capacity of 279 beds. A few months ago, staffing shortages and overtime needs forced the county to limit in‑house inmates to roughly 80. Since then, the county renegotiated housing contracts and narrowed out‑of‑county placements to Taylor County and a new Waupaca County relationship that is more cost‑effective, Volden said.
Volden said the jail currently houses 223 inmates in‑house, which he said aligns with the state office of detention facilities guidance for 80% capacity. He said total responsible population across in‑jail and out‑of‑jail supervision (including electronic monitoring) is about 300 individuals. A few months earlier the county was limiting in‑house population because staffing was "at our most critical point," he said.
Volden said the Waupaca County contract offers a per‑inmate daily rate about $18 lower than the county previously paid at Lincoln County; Chief Deputy Bill estimated that the cost difference on contracting for 40 beds amounts to roughly $262,000 in annual savings. The administrator also reported that the county's juvenile secured detention facility generated approximately $96,000 in revenue in April.
Committee members asked about trends in population and causes of longer stays. Volden and county administration said the jail population decreased during the COVID period and has since risen; factors prolonging stays include competency determinations that pause court proceedings and strain on the state public defender system, which can delay appointment of counsel. County administration emphasized that many determinants of jail population are court and state functions rather than county budgeting decisions, though county investments in technology and vendor negotiations can affect logistics and costs.
On federal funding, staff said federal dollars directly to the jail are limited. The county has received opioid-settlement funds routed through the state; earlier rounds generated amounts in the low‑to‑mid hundreds of thousands of dollars and additional allocations have been smaller. Staff cautioned that if settlement dollars disappear, the county would need to identify other funding sources for substance‑use treatment programs in the jail.
Ending: The administrator said reduced reliance on distant beds, contract negotiations and vendor management have produced operational and cost benefits; the committee received the update and requested any further follow-up as needed.
