Farming out county prisoners is no easy or inexpensive task
Staff reporter
Marion County is not alone when it comes to determining other options to incarcerate law-breakers.
Take Morris County.
This county of 6,000 people also has an outdated jail. That county's jail was built in 1969, the same time as construction was completed for the Morris County Courthouse.
Voters said "no" in the April 2001 election when Morris County Commission asked them to consider a bond issue of $1.9 million for improvements to the existing jail that would expand the facility to 26 beds and address security issues in the county's district court.
Again, in the November 2002 election, the commission asked voters to approve a slightly lower indebtedness of a $1.3 million bond issue for a similar jail expansion.
Nothing doing. Voters rejected that issue as well.
So what is the sheriff's department doing now?
They're driving their prisoners to Chase County.
"We're able to house prisoners in our jail up to 72 hours, for work release and weekend sentences," said Morris County Sheriff Scott Coover.
The jail population fluctuates, much like Marion County's, with an average of two or three in the county jail at any given time.
There are no jailers, per se. Similar to Marion County, Morris County dispatchers perform jail duties by checking prisoners.
Long-term prisoners are transported by Morris County deputies, five full-time and three part-time, to the Chase County facility. The county has been doing this since the early 2000s, said Coover.
"Right now, we only have one prisoner at Chase County but there are times when we have had 15 to 18," Coover said.
It's cost effective for Morris County when there are only a few prisoners shipped out but not so when the inmate numbers increase.
The reason? Morris County still has expenses associated with maintaining its local jail plus the expense of transporting and housing prisoners at Cottonwood Falls.
Morris County is charged $41 per day per prisoner by Chase County. Not only do deputies transport newly-arrested/incarcerated prisoners to the facility, but provide a taxi service back and forth when prisoners have court dates.
Typically, court proceedings are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
"Not every inmate has court on the same day," the sheriff said. There are some days that his deputies do nothing more than transport inmates back and forth.
"Someone suggested a van but that won't work because of the varied court dates," Coover said.
"Actually, we're pretty lucky," he said. "We're only 21 miles (one way) from the Chase County Jail. It could be worse."
Will Morris County try again with a new bond issue for a jail expansion?
Probably not.
"The public has spoken and made it clear it will not support jail improvements," Coover said.
