CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Essential services may be jeopardized if regional jail prices continue to soar.
That’s the message today from Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango after learning that Kanawha’s jail bill increased by more than $50,000 for May of this year compared to 2021.
Commissioners said the cost to house inmates at the South Central Regional Jail for May 2022 was $290,325.00, an increase of more than $50,000 over the jail bill for May of 2021.
Counties in West Virginia are responsible for the daily cost of housing inmates in the State’s regional jails. Kanawha County’s jail bill averages $3.5 million each year and continues to trend upward.
Commission President Kent Carper added, “Today we learned Kanawha County’s jail bill is up 21%. This is extremely concerning because, at the moment, the West Virginia Legislature has set in motion a plan to defund local government, law enforcement, and public safety through Amendment One.“
Carper went on, “the continued attack on public safety funding has to stop. We have reached a point where counties will soon be unable to provide the critical services that the public expects and deserves.”
Commissioner Ben Salango added, “Several counties have already stopped paying their jail bills and simply can’t afford further increases. The State of West Virginia, with its record surpluses, should take on the financial responsibility of housing inmates in the State’s Regional Jails.”