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Todd County officials warn jail costs are straining local budgets; legislative relief sought
Summary
County officials told the court they are facing rising jail costs as state reimbursements lag, citing 79 state inmates and 23 county inmates in custody and a $35.14 daily reimbursement rate that county leaders say is insufficient. Commissioners discussed legislative fixes and options to house higher-paying federal inmates.
Todd County officials used the regular session to underline persistent pressure from jail costs and to outline possible options for relief. Speaker 2 told the court that the county’s jail currently holds 79 state inmates and 23 county inmates and that counties receive "35 dollars and 14 cents" per day for state inmates — a rate the official said does not cover current housing costs.
The court heard a summary of a recent Frankfort hearing called by Representative Flannery in which judges and county officials from several jurisdictions testified about large jail-related budget shortfalls. "Jails are breaking our counties financially," Speaker 2 said, describing testimony from other counties about tapping non-jail reserves and raising taxes to cover growing costs.
Speaker 2 discussed a pending legislative proposal that would require the state to reimburse counties for pre-conviction time served once an individual is designated a state inmate after 60 days. "If a person passes 60 days in jail and then is later convicted as a state inmate, the state would reimburse us for that time served," Speaker 2 said, adding that the measure must still pass the legislature.
Officials also discussed operational options the county is exploring to offset costs, including the possibility of housing federal inmates ("federal inmates, they pay you, like, a $100 a day," Speaker 2 said) or ICE detainees, and developing a local substance-abuse program that could generate higher per‑inmate revenue. Speaker 2 cautioned that each option would require upfront investments and facility upgrades and said the county would evaluate whether the long‑term revenue would justify the costs.
The court did not take a formal vote on the proposals during the meeting. Officials said they will continue pushing for state-level legislative relief in the next biennial session and will explore feasibility studies and cost estimates before pursuing changes in jail operations.
