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Last Updated: 03/04/2005
The Rockbridge Report is produced
under the supervision of the Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communications
at Washington and Lee University.
Reporting supervisors: Prof. Doug Cumming
Technical supervisor: |
Rockbridge Jail losing money, gaining inmates By Nazo Burgy
The Rockbridge Regional Jail is averaging twice as many inmates today as it did when it first opened in 1988. Back then, the jail was able to cover all of its operational costs and bring in extra money because of revenue generated by holding state and federal prisoners from other jurisdictions, such as Augusta County, Lynchburg and other parts of Virginia. But now, as the population in the county continues to grow, the jail is reaching its maximum capacity of 104 beds. On average, 95 inmates occupy the jail each day. This growth is already affecting the county budget and forcing elected officials to consider expanding the jail. John Higgins, superintendent of Rockbridge Regional Jail, attributes the growth to the increasing county population, stricter laws with mandatory jail sentences and the active Rockbridge Regional Drug Task Force. “[The Drug Task Force] arrested 40 to 50 people just in November and December,” he said. This growth has caused the need for more money to cover costs. Previously, when the jail was able to hold prisoners from other localities, it could charge the localities per diem. Now, however, since the jail is full of people from Rockbridge County, Buena Vista and Lexington, it is not bringing in the revenue as it once did. This last fiscal year was the first time the three localities have been charged by the jail and it has come as a “big blow,” according to Bob Claytor, director of fiscal services for the county. “We’re concerned, but there’s not much we can do about it,” he said. He added, however, that expenditures have been kept in line For the month of December, the county paid the jail $27,936, using nearly 80 percent of its total monthly appropriations for other government functions and activities. To date, the county has paid $96,872 during the current fiscal year. Higgins also emphasized that it is a matter of public safety and that they have to come up with funding somehow. Currently, the jail’s operational budget is about $2.29 million. It will receive about $1.66 million from the compensation board from the state and it hopes to make $180,294 from various programs such as work release and home monitoring. The remaining $450,484 will be split between the three local governments that use the jail. Based on the percentage of prisoner days (the number of prisoners times the number of days they are imprisoned), Lexington will pay approximately $22,000, Buena Vista, $115,000 and Rockbridge County, $312,000. The jurisdiction is determined by where the person is arrested or where the crime is committed. On average, 70 percent of inmates are from Rockbridge County, 25 percent from Buena Vista and five percent from Lexington. According to Higgins, even though Lexington and Buena Vista are relatively small cities, Buena Vista has more prisoners in the jail because of “a lot of drug arrests.” Higgins is currently conducting a study of the past 10 years to project the growth of the jail 10 years from now. He said that it is “good planning and good management” to look at the figures now and determine what to do, as opposed to realizing the jail is full in a few years and then have fewer options. “Now’s the time to look at it, to see if we’re leveling out or if we’re growing,” he said. Higgins said that possible solutions could be expansion or farming out weekend inmates to other jails. County Supervisor Maynard Reynolds said that the jail will eventually have to expand. “I think there is no question about it, if the crime continues the way it is today,” he said. In addition, Reynolds said that the jail is filling up because of mandatory sentences and also because of the new judges. “The old judges would just let them walk,” he said. “The new judges are not letting them do that anymore.” |
