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Commissioners consider tying jail increases to prisoner-board reimbursements amid high inmate costs
Summary
Coryell County officials debated reducing jail supply and medical lines, modeling reimbursements from prisoner board (example: 70 inmates × $120 → $3,066,000) and proposing a $400,000–$440,000 reduction target rather than across-the-board increases.
Chair proposed linking a portion of the jail budget increases to prisoner-board reimbursements and offered a model showing 70 inmates at $120 per day would produce $3,066,000, which could fund some of the jail’s additional requests. Chair said the increase could be reallocated within the jail when reimbursements come in and urged tying the incremental portions to that revenue source.
Other commissioners and participants cautioned against relying heavily on reimbursements, noting state reimbursements do not always cover the full cost to house inmates and the process for paperwork can be arduous; one participant warned, “you did better not bank on it.” The court discussed specific line items—inmate food (estimated at about $317,000), janitorial supplies, linens and medical—and several members suggested percentage reductions (10–20%) to contain the increase.
Commissioners directed staff to use more conservative assumptions and to refine estimates of reimbursements and per-inmate costs; no formal vote was taken during the session.
