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Commission reviews delayed state invoices for inmate housing, approves payment
Summary
The Sheriff's Office reported invoices from the State Penitentiary dating to 2024 that arrived in October 2025; staff said the bills appear valid, the county is responsible for payment, and commissioners approved processing while noting the penitentiary would not commit to timelier billing.
The Torrance County Sheriff’s Office notified commissioners Nov. 12 that it had received prior-year invoices from the State Penitentiary for inmate housing services dating to 2024. Reecie (TCSO) said the invoices arrived on Oct. 28, 2025, and that the delay reflected the penitentiary’s billing schedule rather than county processes. Because the inmate was placed there under a judge’s order, Reecie said the county is obligated to pay the charges.
Reecie reported that penitentiary staff declined to guarantee faster billing cycles in future, citing high volume and workload constraints; commissioners stressed the importance of aligning county records with state billing to avoid budget mismatches. The board approved payment of the invoices after discussion and confirmation that the charges appeared accurate.
Commissioners requested staff continue communicating with the penitentiary to seek timelier invoices and to track any similar late charges in future fiscal reviews.
