Putnam County sheriff announces jail achieves Tier 2 status, projects about $330,000 annual increase in revenue

The Putnam County Sheriff reported to commissioners that the county jail has achieved Tier 2 certification under the Tennessee Corrections Institute's program, a change that increases the daily reimbursement rate for state inmates and will raise county revenue.

Sheriff (name not specified) said the county reached Tier 2 this week and that the upgrade adds an additional $6 per day per state inmate compared with the prior rate. Based on the jail's average state inmate population, the sheriff estimated the change will bring about $330,000 in additional revenue annually.

The sheriff credited Major Tim Nash, the jail administrator, and other staff for meeting the program standards that led to the higher certification. He said the county is one of the third counties in the state to reach Tier 2.

Why it matters: additional reimbursement for state inmates improves county jail revenue, which could affect the county's operating budgets and financial planning.

Details

- Certification: The county had prepared earlier to achieve Tier 1 in 2022 and this week moved to Tier 2, which the sheriff said increases the per‑inmate reimbursement by $6 per day. (Sheriff)

- Estimated revenue: Sheriff estimated the Tier 2 change will generate approximately $330,000 a year based on average daily state inmate counts. (Sheriff)

- Staff credited: Major Tim Nash and staff member Matt Stinnett were credited for work to reach the standard. (Sheriff)

Follow-up

The sheriff asked commissioners to note the revenue change; no formal vote or budget amendment was taken at this point on that announcement.