Pittsburg County jail report: county inmates drive costs; officials cite operational vulnerabilities

Jeff Daniels, jail administrator, presented the jail’s February 2026 monthly summary to the Pittsburg County Board of Commissioners on March 9, reporting an average daily population of 163 and total inmate days of 4,564 for the month.

Daniels told the board county inmates accounted for 2,081 inmate days and that because county inmates generate no housing revenue the county absorbed approximately $124,714 of housing costs in February. The written summary recorded total operational cost for February at $284,955.27 and revenue generated at $198,889.18; the document lists a cost per inmate per day of $62.44.

Daniels said the jail will increase outside-agency inmate housing rates to $65 per day and noted Judge Hogan signed an administrative order setting an incarceration fee at $59.93 per day for court-ordered fees. Daniels also outlined several operational items: replacement of containment glass in cell pods beginning March 23, purchase of a new inmate transport unit, and ongoing issues with VoIP phone systems and internet connectivity that disrupt critical communications. At the meeting, consultant Leo Baughman suggested evaluating satellite internet (Starlink) as an alternative.

Why it matters: county-paid inmate days produce a measurable budgetary burden and the facility’s reliance on internet-dependent VoIP phone systems poses operational risk for internal and emergency communications.

What’s next: the jail will implement the higher outside-agency rate, proceed with the glass replacement project and monitor communications uptime; commissioners approved the monthly reports and related fiscal items during the meeting.