Sheriff warns classification shortfalls could force Richland County to house inmates out of county

The Richland County sheriff told the Public Safety Committee on Dec. 6 that a recent jail inspection praised staff but identified persistent problems with the facility’s inmate-classification process and warned the county must act or the state will impose a housing plan.

The inspection found improvement in how inmates were separated by classification but still listed classification as a recurring violation, the sheriff said. To address the shortfall, the county will likely begin transporting and housing some inmates in neighboring counties starting in 2025, the sheriff added.

That shift would bring direct costs of about $60 per inmate per day for out-of-county housing, not including transport or medical expenses, the sheriff said. He described discussions with neighboring counties and noted transport and logistical costs would add to the county’s expense if it cannot resolve classification gaps locally.

Committee members and staff discussed next steps, including scheduling a committee jail inspection at the next meeting and reviewing the upcoming state report in detail. The sheriff said county staff will present the inspection report and an implementation plan at the next committee meeting.

The sheriff also said the state inspector had praised staff performance and day-to-day operations despite infrastructure and classification limitations, noting the inspector offered both critiques and compliments. Committee members asked about likely destinations for relocated inmates and were told neighboring counties — possibly in adjacent jurisdictions such as Iowa County — are the most likely housing partners.

The committee did not take a formal vote on a housing plan at the meeting; the sheriff said the county hopes to take corrective steps first and will bring options and cost estimates back to the committee for review.