County says yes to plan for more inmates at jail
The Faribault County Jail is now accepting more prisoners.
Faribault County chief deputy Scott Adams attended the Faribault County Commissioners meeting last Tuesday to discuss a contract regarding prisoners.
The contract is with the Department of Corrections and proposes housing work release offenders.
“We currently have an average of three to five prisoners a day,”?Adams explains.
Entering the proposed contract would boost the numbers at the Faribault County Jail and the county would be reimbursed for any work release prisoners staying at the facility.
“It costs us around $55 a day to house a prisoner,” county commissioner Tom Warmka says. “So, I’m for it, as long as we’re being reimbursed.”
The jail would house prisoners who have been allowed work release; however, they would be required to have work lined up before being transferred.
“Since they’ll be working, they will basically just be sleeping in our facility,” Adams says.
The chief deputy adds they are hoping to only accept people from the Faribault County area.
“We don’t want people coming from different areas and creating issues here,” Adams says.
The county commissioners approved this contract with the Department of Corrections, and agree it would be beneficial to accept individuals who are on work release.
Adams also asked that the boat and water grant of $2,471 be approved by the commissioners.
The grant comes from the state and is renewed annually after the Sheriff’s Department sends in a budget for the year.
“We usually put about $800 toward maintenence and the rest is used for search and rescue,” Adams says.
He adds this is the lowest grant the department receives but they are still grateful.
The county commissioners approved accepting the grant.
In other business:
the County Board approved the hire of Missy Sonnek as a new full-time corrections officer and dispatcher.
a bond levy fund from the original Prairieland waste facility project was transferred to the jail bond debt service fund.
The commissioners approved the remaining $9,371.90 should be handled in such a way as to avoid the issue of using special funds for other types of spending.
County Engineer John McDonald informed the board that work on the South Walnut bridge has continued.
He adds the Union Pacific will be busy working on many of the crossings throughout the county this week and people should be aware of it.