By Ron Clayton
Chattanooga Times Free Press
BENTON, Tenn. -- State inmates are cash cows in Polk County.
The county earned more than twice as much as it expected from fees for housing state prisoners in its new jail, and county officials hope to bring in $1 million from state inmates next year.
“There was $223,000 (projected revenue) put into the budget for the last six months of last year,” County Mayor Mike Stinnett said. “We knew it was left low and hoped it would cover shortfalls in property tax revenue.”
But the actual income from the jail’s first six months was nearly $600,000, he said.
Corrections operating costs for the fiscal year that ended June 30 were $1.2 million, Mr. Stinnett said. Commissioners haven’t passed the corrections budget for the current year, he said.
Sheriff Bill Davis is saying “I told you so”. The sheriff last year told commissioners reluctant to open the jail that the facility would more than support itself.
“We have demonstrated that it will produce revenue and not add to the tax rate,” Sheriff Davis said during a recent tour of the jail.
County commissioners agreed to replace the dilapidated jail in 2005, but construction delays and a money shortage meant the new facility wasn’t finished until the fall of 2007.
In the interim, many of the county commissioners’ seats changed hands, and the new body was reluctant to start up the jail because of the operating costs.
Eventually, the state fire marshal shut down the old jail and ordered prisoners transferred elsewhere at the county’s expense. Commissioners then adopted a tax increase and hired corrections officers to open the new jail.
Ricky Hale, director of corrections, said the jail averages 138 inmates per day including 80 state prisoners.
Sheriff Davis said the jail is well designed, with beds for 150 and capacity to expand.
“We think this will meet the needs of the county for the next 25 years,” he said. “I cannot say enough good things about the operation.”
The jail includes a full-service kitchen and wash room, a contract nurse with examination rooms that include dental facilities, and an indoor recreation area with a moving panel to let in fresh air and sunlight.
Clark McCray is a nurse with Southern Health Partners, which staffs the facility 48 hours a week and has a 24-hour emergency call service.
“The cooperation we have gotten is great,” he said.
Having health care in place means prisoners don’t have to leave the jail except for extreme emergencies. Mr. Hale said that lessens the chances of escape.
He said the design includes multiple locked doors between areas to ensure corrections officers are safe.
A control room and 60 cameras allow officers to monitor the whole jail. That’s better than the old jail, where crowding put officers at risk, Sheriff Davis said.
Housing state inmates has raised revenue for the Benton facility.
“The different is like daylight and dark,” he said.
The justice center also has offices for the sheriff’s department, courtrooms and offices for the clerk of courts, chancery court and the probation office.
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