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Sheriff tells board jail population climb could require six deputies; county eyes STAR revenue to offset costs
Summary
Sheriff's office told supervisors that increasing jail population and a recently opened housing pod justify adding six deputy positions in 2026; the department also described using the state's STAR program (state inmates at $100/day) as a potential revenue offset. Supervisors pressed on inmate-to-staff ratios, overtime costs and GPS alternatives.
Winnebago County sheriff's office representatives told the board during the Oct. 12 budget hearing that the county97run jail has experienced an increase in bookings and that overtime to staff an additional housing pod is not sustainable.
The sheriff said the jail population had been as high as about 303 and that a more steady population above the department's 280 planning threshold would require reopening an additional pod. The department requested six additional deputy positions in the 2026 budget to staff the pod; the request was described as a cautious staffing plan that could expand by four more positions in a future year if the population trend remained.
Sheriff's office representatives also said the county could bring state inmates into a local STAR program at $100 per inmate per day, creating a potential revenue stream if the pod has capacity. The sheriff reported using overtime to staff the pod previously and estimated overtime totals near $23,000 per month during a prior staffing surge.
Supervisors asked for assurance on staffing ratios and safety. The sheriff's office said the highest number of inmates supervised by a single deputy at present is about 68 in an open, minimum-security pod; for higher security pods the ratio is lower because of tighter controls and locked cells. Supervisors raised public-safety and morale concerns and said they will weigh the funding request carefully.
Board action: The final adopted budget funds jail staffing increases consistent with the county executive97proposed requests and committee recommendations; supervisors debated but did not remove the requested corrections positions during amendment votes.
Why it matters: Adequate staffing affects corrections safety and legal compliance; the county faces a tradeoff between personnel costs and overtime burnout, balanced against possible revenues from state programs.
