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Supervisors hear jail population pressures and approve $30,000 juvenile-detention transfer to Lee County Jail kitchen upgrade
Summary
County staff reported the jail population at 78 with rising out-of-county placements and per-diem costs; supervisors approved a $30,000 transfer from the juvenile-detention budget to help Lee County Jail upgrade its kitchen so juvenile meals can be prepared locally.
County officials told the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 16 that local corrections capacity is strained and costs for housing inmates out of county are increasing.
Kevin, a law-enforcement/jail representative, reported that “the jail’s at 78 this morning,” with nine inmates held out of county and several individuals awaiting extradition or transfer to state prison. He said the county is managing a wait list for its 65-bed residential facility and described persistent challenges in moving people into local residential programming.
Kevin detailed rising costs for out-of-county placements, saying the county now “pay[s] $60 a minimum and then we pay $80 for max security inmates,” and noted state code limits the county’s ability to recoup some expenses. He told supervisors that legislative change would be required to alter reimbursements and that current state revenue trends make new state-funded costs unlikely in the near term.
The board also discussed juvenile-detention operations and intercounty contracts. A supervisor reported the county allocated $30,000 from its juvenile-detention budget to Lee County Jail to upgrade the kitchen, enabling juvenile-detention meals to be cooked locally; the upgrade was described as likely to be completed by the end of the year when the kitchen is upgraded. The board discussed a contract to allow non-member counties to house juveniles at $225 per day and noted the receiving facility includes certified teachers and programming for juveniles.
County attorney/staff comments explained that Department of Corrections changes to placement naming and practices (listing regional correctional facilities rather than specific halfway houses) have in some cases reduced wait times but have also shifted placement patterns across multiple counties.
Supervisors did not take additional policy action on corrections at the meeting, but staff flagged budget and placement constraints as an ongoing operational issue for future planning and intergovernmental coordination.
Public comment during the meeting included an on-line participant who said he had emailed supervisors; no corrective action on that email was recorded in the transcript.
The discussion ends with the board moving on to routine agenda items and votes.
