BUTTE — The state pays county jails, like the one in Butte, $82 a day for each Department of Corrections inmate it houses, but the sheriff here says that’s simply not enough money and he’d like to see the state start paying more.
“This isn’t something that we’re trying to be unreasonable, but we want to call attention to the fact that it’s costing us more to house these inmates than we’re being reimbursed by the state,” said Butte Sheriff Ed Lester.
Butte Interim County Attorney Kelli Fivey will be asking Butte-Silver Bow County Commissioners to approve the sheriff’s request to receive $110 for each D.O.C. inmate in custody. This could also help with the jail’s overcrowding issues.
“What our hope is if they have to pay full cost for an inmate that is technically under their charge, they might as well just come and get them and put them in their facility,” said Fivey.
The Montana State Prison also is dealing with crowding issues, so many inmates who have already been sentenced must wait in county jails until more room opens up in a state facility. The sheriff understands this is a statewide problem and he’s not trying to be difficult.
“Even if it passes, I don’t expect any drastic changes. I’m not going to drive a bus of inmates down to the Montana State Prison and demand they take them,” said Lester.
It's the Montana Legislature that ultimately sets the price for housing D.O.C. inmates. Fivey said by getting the county to officially approve the request for more money, it gives the Butte jail a possible option to recoup that money later.
“If we can recoup the money we’re spending right now and recoup that $28 dollars a day, that’s going to help our taxpayers and, you know, maybe that’s a road or a park or a new police car or whatever,” said Sheriff Lester.
The jail has just over a dozen D.O.C. inmates among its more than 120 total population. The jail was originally built to house 72 inmates.
