The Interim Joint Committee on Local Government met in Frankfort Monday, where legislators heard from county jailers and county judge-executives about the financial struggles concerning county jails.
Kentucky Association of Counties Executive Director Jim Henderson gave a presentation on the current financial burden county jails are on local governments across the state, even in ones that don’t have their own jail facilities. Henderson calls it a complex problem, saying Kentucky counties—excluding Fayette and Jefferson counties—are spending roughly $350 million per year to operate jails.
Jails that house state inmates do receive financial compensation from the state, and those housing federal inmates get federal reimbursement, but that only has so much impact.
Rowan County Judge-Executive Harry Clark told the committee that Rowan County acts as a regional jail for six surrounding counties that don’t have their own detention facility—much like the Christian County Jail does—and says they’re struggling to meet the financial burden. He says even if the legislature gave them money now, it doesn’t address the long-term problem.
Counties without their own jails are still paying other counties to house them, so they’re not free of the burden. Possible solutions include contracting out food services, having in-house medical care and addressing how long an inmate spends awaiting trial or another resolution. Often times, an individual could be housed in a county jail for years, which means more money spent to care for that individual.
The hearing just addressed the financial concerns of county jails—many county jails also provide programs that help inmates fight substance abuse or get a GED, while struggling to stay fully staffed and provide adequate pay.