Sheriff: jail costs about $76.80 per inmate daily; accreditation payments and programs help narrow gap

Sheriff Lawson told the commission that a CAS cost study shows Bradley County's jail costs about $76.80 per inmate per day before revenue and about $56.40 per inmate per day after accounting for revenue from housing state and federal inmates. "Before the revenue it cost us $76.80 per inmate per day," Lawson said, adding, "we get $64 a day for a federal inmate" and roughly $47 for a state inmate, which includes a $6 daily bonus for the jail's tier-one accreditation.

The study, Lawson said, can be used to negotiate the county's federal contract and to demonstrate operating costs to state officials. He reported the jail was holding about 130 state inmates in a recent command staff review and said the daily average population for county custody has been about 450'460 while the facility has 510 beds. "We're averaging somewhere around 450 to 460 a day now and got 510 beds," Lawson said, noting lower populations ease staff workload and reduce operational strain.

County staff and Elizabeth Harris reviewed the jail's tier-one accreditation, which pays an additional $6 per state inmate per day for meeting 17 enhanced standards, including added medical services and programs. The county received $26,712 in February, $30,318 in March and $27,180 in April tied to that accreditation bonus, officials said. Harris and the sheriff also described vocational programming for inmates (culinary, forklift, a planned welding program) and said the jail coordinates those classes with outside partners such as City Fields and The Caring Place.

The commission heard an annual inspection report that found no findings and recommended certification to the board of control; the sheriff credited correctional staff for maintaining compliance across the physical plant, sanitation, inmate medical and food services and programs. Sheriff Lawson also described recent safety work: the top tier of H pod (female intake) was enclosed after inmates attempted to jump from the tier, which the sheriff said has prevented further incidents.

Facility maintenance was discussed: staff reported recent overhead pipe leaks that required shutting off water to most of the building for repairs; a completed backflow relocation project was noted; and shower-area leaks and water-damaged walls in the north training room remain under repair. Staff provided a quote of about $11,000 to repair four showers and said they will trial push-button shower controls in one pod to see if that stops recurring leaks and damage.

The sheriff also briefed the commission on fuel costs affecting the sheriff's budget. April fuel costs were reported at about $52,346.29, an increase of roughly $20,000'$25,000 since February. The sheriff said the office operates two fuel lines in its budget (a gasoline line and an "other fuel" line) and invoices other departments for fuel issued from the county tanks, returning that revenue to county coffers.

The commission did not take formal action on the jail study, accreditation steps or the maintenance projects during this meeting; the matters were presented as updates and for future planning.