Starting July 1 the per diem rate to house a prisoner at a regional jail went from $48.80 to $48.25. That’s a difference of 55 cents per inmate, per day.
West Virginia Association of Counties Executive Director Patti Hamilton said it makes a difference.
“Fifty-five cents by itself doesn’t sound like a lot but when you look at the number of incarcerations and the bills the counties are paying, this will make a big difference,” according to Hamilton.
Add it all up and the total bill for an average of 3,800 prisoners a year is significant.
“The total that all counties paid, in fiscal year 2012, for regional jail billing, is 47 million dollars,” said Hamilton
When you take the 55-cent reduction, it comes to a savings of $516,000. That will mean different things for different counties. Kanawha has one of the highest regional jail bills at $4.4-million a year. They’ll save $50,000. Summers County
But there’s a big question as to whether any of that savings will ever make it back into the county’s bank account.
“Will we see a savings or will it just even things out because the number of incarcerations are going up?” Hamilton
The Regional Jail Authority voted to decrease the per diem last Oct. but waited until July 1 to implement it.
