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BUTLER COUNTY
– Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones reopened Court Street Prison in Hamilton to accommodate more contracted inmates and five offenders whom judges can no longer send to prison .
came into effect on July 1 which requires the 10 largest counties of Ohio – Butler County is No. 7 – to stop sending non-violent criminals who commit crimes of lower level in prison, with the idea that sustainable rehabilitation is more likely to occur at the local level in state prisons.
FIRST REPORT: New Law on Ohio Prison Could Cost $ 4 Million in Butler County
Typical offenses include: felony without support of dependents; flight; possession of drugs; Originally, county officials estimated that the TCAP program could cost up to $ 3.8 million a year to keep offenders, but the Butler County Court Administrator, Wayne Gilkison, said they were expecting about 160 people in jail a year for a cost of about $ 1.3 million. The $ 1.2 million grant they received from the state will cover about $ 619,175 – only half of the money can be used to house prisoners.
"It will still cost the county a lot of money to house these people," said Gilkison. The former Butler County Court Street Jail has been reopened recently. One floor of the prison is in operation and another floor is ready for new detainees. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF
The Butler County Administrator Charlie Young said that while the county was preparing for this new law, state action is a Another example of the state with its financial problems. "This is another example of the state that pushes its problems, if you will, to local government units and does not fund it enough," Young said. "But this county is prepared."
Butler County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Tony Dwyer said they had not only opened Court Street for TCAP inmates. The sheriff's office, he said, has more inmates under contract than usual. On Monday, there were 592 local detainees and 434 contract prisoners. The county has agreements to house prisoners on a regular basis with Pike County, the US Marshal Service and the Immigration and Customs Law Enforcement. These entities pay $ 60, $ 58 and $ 58.78 per bunk bed per day, respectively.
Major Mike Craft of Butler County Sheriff said that rates vary – the daily cost of the protocol of agreement with the state is $ 72. agencies, it all depends on how long the person or people will be there. He said that they could not open an entire floor at Court Street Prison for some inmates
The sheriff's office drew nearly $ 8.6 million from invited prisoners last year and has planned $ 7 million for next year. The opening of Court Street Institution required the hiring of additional staff, but staffing is still a "moving target".
Dwyer stated that they must regularly make adjustments – use full-time and part-time staff to manage the prison "
" Literally, we need to examine the staffing and what we can do and what we can not do, and we anticipate, it's a "Waywell Thomas and Hannah McCarthy stand in the control room of the former Butler County Court Street Jail which was reopened recently, in part because a new law comes into force in July. 1 which prohibits judges from sending five offenders to prison. (NICK GRAHAM / STAFF)
NICK GRAHAM / STAFF
