Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Corrections Costs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County panel hears that jail health-care costs pushed jail budget close to $1.00 million
Summary
Officials told commissioners the jail budget — including medical and correctional healthcare expenses — is approximately $1,000,299 and highly variable depending on inmate medical needs; commissioners discussed bed rates, revenue from housing other counties' inmates and unpredictability of the line item.
Staff reported that the combined jail budget — dominated by inmate health-care and correctional healthcare costs — is roughly $1,000,299 for the coming period. One presenter summarized the figure bluntly: "So that's a long way for $1,000,299." Commissioners discussed that the jail has capacity for about 50 beds, an average daily population of about 33, and that housing inmates from neighboring counties brings revenue (Marquette County pays $45 per bed; Luce County pays $42 per bed as reported). The county contracts with a vendor (Alger Correctional Healthcare) to manage inmate medical screening and to make determinations about hospital transports and treatment.
Board members acknowledged the unpredictability of inmate care costs—mental-health medications and emergency transports were cited as major drivers—and asked for conservative budgeting. Staff recommended maintaining contingency amounts and continuing careful year-end billing practice so expenditures align with the correct fiscal year.
