This Is What Our Town Is Becoming

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones is the self proclaimed “King of the Jails” with space at his facility in a time when others have none.

The facility that holds 800 plus was built in 1999 and has produced millions of dollars for the county’s coffers, but the revenue is projected to go down about $1 million this year. That money is funneled into the county’s general fund and then used to provide county services.

The sheriff said the down turn in prisoner housing revenue is due to the political cycle, and the economy affecting not only how many officers on on the street to arrest people, but how much money a municipality can spend on housing them. But when one agency ends a contract, the department constantly looks for others.

Cash from boarding of prisoners is projected to be down about $1 million this year and about 20 percent in 2013, according to projections prepared by Assistant County Administrator Pete Landrum.

“Part of my responsibility is to be resourceful,” Jones said. “And resourceful I am.”

Jones and Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer say they are actively marketing the jail to bring in new contracts and make up the dwindling revenue.

In 2010, boarding of prisoners created $6.3 million; last year $5.9 million and the forecast for 2012 calls for that number to shrink to $5 million.

“The jail is lucrative for the county and has continued to be so,” Dwyer said, “We are still making money. Revenue is higher than expenses … and we are looking for new contracts,” Dwyer said.

Dwyer said billing of the 33 entities with contracts to house prisoners, including federal government, state and regional law enforcement, is monitored daily.

Administrators have the ability to close and open jail pods and the Court Street Jail to adjust for increases and decreases in the jail population.

“We can mothball pods,” Dwyer said. And the facility with 10 pods that holds 848 inmates was built for easy expansion if needed.

Outside agencies are charged rates per prisoner per day based on number of inmates and the consistency bring prisoners to the county jail.

“The more sporadic the more problematic for use,” Dwyer said, noting it makes planning a budgeting a problem.

The going rate per day per prisoner is $53.20 a day for federal prisoners, $60 a day for outside agencies and $70 a day for those with out contracts that rarely house prisoners.

“When you buy in bulk, you get a discount,” Jones said. “It’s no different here. I run this like a company. I am the CEO of the company.”

Because Butler County is centrally located, it is convenient for many agencies. And they have the space when surrounding counties don’t. Dwyer said they now have contracts with smaller cities in Hamilton County because their jails are full.

Dwyer said it is fiscally responsible the department to seek revenue on prisoner housing.

“These are people who are going to be housed somewhere or they are not going to be housed at all,” he said. And generating $5 million in revenue for the county’s general fund means that much less in taxpayer burden.

Landrum said the down turn in revenue is a concern and a stress on the general fund, but he knows the department is doing everything it can to bring in new contracts.

“They do the best job of anybody at marking the jail,” Landrum said. “If anybody can, they can.”