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Clay County approves $25 per‑hour per‑officer prisoner transport fee
Summary
The Clay County Board of Commissioners approved a policy setting prisoner transport at $25 per hour per officer plus state mileage or a $5 minimum, to recover costs when transporting inmates for medical appointments and interagency transfers; the board noted current DOC per‑diem and will revisit rates during next budget cycle.
The Clay County Board of Commissioners voted to set a prisoner‑transport reimbursement rate at $25 per hour per officer, plus mileage at the state rate or a $5 minimum, to recover county costs when moving inmates for medical appointments or interjurisdictional transfers.
The vote followed a presentation by Andy, who said the county is increasingly housing inmates for the Department of Corrections and the U.S. Marshals and is negotiating contracts with both agencies. Andy said the state currently pays counties $95 per inmate per day but that local cost calculations suggest a breakeven daily rate closer to $140. He told commissioners that Marshals transports often require two officers, one of whom must be armed, and that he had pitched a higher transport rate in ongoing talks with the Marshals.
Commissioners discussed whether the transport rate should be per officer (not per inmate) and agreed the approved $25 rate should be applied per officer when more than one deputy is required. A motion to approve the recommended transfer/transport fees was made and seconded; commissioners voted in favor by voice. No recorded roll‑call tally was provided in the transcript.
County officials said the county will continue to pursue contract negotiations with the Marshals and will reexamine daily or per‑inmate rates when setting next year’s budget. The board also noted that some counties use graduated per‑diem formulas and that state legislation under consideration may change how DOC reimbursement is calculated in future years.
Next steps: the county will apply the approved transportation fee schedule and revisit jail costs and DOC reimbursement assumptions during the January budget review.
