County jail leadership told commissioners on Dec. 16 that chronic understaffing and operational demands are driving overtime well past budgeted amounts and asked for a modest, targeted increase in approved positions.

Captain Jeremy Howe presented an operational staffing model that sets a minimum of two sergeants and 13 deputies to safely run day‑to‑day jail operations. “For our minimum staffing is 2 sergeants and 13 deputies to run the day to day of the jail,” Howe told the board.

Howe reported an inmate count of 476, above a stated facility maximum of 451, and explained that assigned daily ratios currently equate to roughly 43 inmates per deputy on the floor based on assigned duty numbers. He said the jail must rely on overtime and on pulling detectives and patrol deputies — which raises cost — to cover shortages and special events, including a recent cluster of overdoses that required multiple transports.

The presiding commissioner reviewed three years of jail overtime by month and noted the county routinely crosses its overtime budget in February–March. “If we ask for this money and the board relies upon what you ask, then why are we going past it?” the presiding commissioner said, urging staff to identify which hours should be regular time and which are unavoidable overtime so the board can set realistic budget requests.

Howe said the sheriff's office will ask to unfreeze four deputy positions in the next budget cycle to give more schedule flexibility and reduce overtime. He also outlined efforts to seek higher IDOC reimbursement rates and other revenue strategies to offset operational costs. Commissioners praised staff work but pressed for clearer budgeted overtime requests and improved accountability.