Grant County Jail to stay open

Closing a jail turned out to be more expensive than keeping one open for Grant County.

The Grant County Fiscal Court this week voted to rescind the resolution it passed in July to close the jail by October. It's another twist in a political feud surrounding the jail that has embarrassed many Grant County residents.

Surrounding counties wouldn’t take Grant County prisoners for cheap, said Grant County Judge-executive Steve Wood. That’s why the fiscal court members changed their minds.

Some counties asked as much as $66 per prisoner per day, more than double what the state pays for counties to house its inmates.

It would cost the county annually $2 million or more to pay other counties to take Grant County’s prisoners vs. $700,000 to keep the jail open, Wood said.

“All the jails upped their per diem per day,” Wood said. “That did us in. We did a preliminary study and the numbers we had were no good anymore.”

Quite simply, space in jails is a premium. Counties asked for high rates to house prisoners because their jails are overcrowded, said Brad Boyd, president of the Kentucky Jailers Association and jailer in Christian County in Western Kentucky.

"Some are grossly over capacity," Boyd said. "It doesn't make sense for any jail to close."

Now county leaders can put their differences aside to manage a jail of 300 prisoners. Many blame a feud between Wood and Jailer Chris Hankins for bringing the jail to within weeks of closure.

“I’m gonna try my best to forgive and forget and do what’s best for the county,” said Wood.

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Both jail management and Wood said they’re committed to trying to mend fences.

“I have no problem working with anybody,” said Jason Hankins, brother of Chris Hankins, who’s served as spokesman for the jail.

They must start the healing process immediately. If they don’t correct severe maintenance issues by Oct. 11, the Kentucky Department of Corrections will shut the jail down, according to jail staff and Wood.

The jail needs about $100,000 to $150,000 in repairs, including a smoke ventilation system, new plumbing and air conditioning. These maintenance issues prompted the state to pull most of its state inmates from the jail, costing the county the $31.34 per prisoner per day revenue.

While extensions could be granted by the state, if Grant County doesn’t come into compliance, the county would have to pay other counties to take the prisoners. The could cost millions, Jason Hankins said.

“The jail has been neglected for many years,” Jason Hankins said. “The only way the black eye will be removed from this jail is for the fiscal court to get on board with getting the jail fixed.”

The financial future of the county might be at stake. Grant County already has a hard time affording the prison now, let alone if it closed and the county had to pay more than $2 million, leaders said. The county three weeks ago borrowed $300,000 to pay the bills until property tax revenue comes in, said Fiscal Court Magistrate Jacqalynn Riley.

She said the spat over the jail has surprised her. She just wants both Wood and Hankins to put their differences aside and help improve the jail.

"I'm remorseful the decision on the jail took some 70 days to get the data, but it's helped shine a light on the (jail) situation," Riley said. "I pray every day there's better communication and folks step up to do the jobs they're elected to do."

Wood said he’s talking with surrounding counties about starting a regional jail that would be jointly managed to save costs. He wouldn’t divulge which counties and wouldn’t say how far along they are in the talks.

There are four regional jails in the state of Kentucky.

Closing a jail the size of Grant County, however, isn't often cost effective, Boyd said.

Usually small jails with 10 to 20 beds close because they can't buy anything in bulk and can't house state prisoners to pay the costs, Boyd said.

No jail in Kentucky the size of Grant County, 300-plus beds, has closed to save costs, Boyd said. If the jail keeps its state prisoner population up so it gets the per diem revenue, Grant County should break even, Boyd said. Boyd said he hopes Grant County can make the jail successful.

"I hope both sides can put their differences aside and do what in my opinion will be the best for Grant County, " Boyd said.