LOCAL IMPACT TO AREA COUNTY'S JAIL DECISIONS
Monday, January 19th, 2009 -- 11:07 AM
Clark County Sheriff?s Department officials are watching what happens in Portage County very closely.In the fall, voters there overwhelmingly said ?no? to a proposed $72-million Justice Center, which would have included new jail beds.
Portage currently sends most of their overflow prisoners to Clark County. They pay $45 per day, and Chief Deputy Jim Backus says it helps offset Clark County?s costs.
In 2008, other counties, mainly Portage, paid Clark County $420,000 to house inmates here.
Now the county is said to be discussing a joint jail facility with Marathon County, who is also short on space.
Since the new, 125-bed Clark County Jail opened in 1999, other counties have paid Clark County $3.4-million to house inmates.
As of Friday, there were 61 residents at the Clark County facility; 15 came from other counties.
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