Jail population stays constant
Inmate population continues to stay above capacity at Marion County Jail.
Sheriff Lee Becker reported Monday to Marion County Commission there were 19 inmates in the facility over the weekend. Fifteen prisoners remained on Monday. The jail was designed to house eight to 10 prisoners.
Corrections officer Garry Klose reported he had contacted Ted Gibson of the Sedgwick County jail regarding the possibility of Marion County building a commercial jail and housing out-of-county inmates.
Klose asked Gibson if the county built a facility for 60 inmates, with 10 beds reserved for Marion County inmates, would Sedgwick County be interested in "farming out" prisoners to Marion County?
Gibson responded the 1,100-bed Sedgwick County facility is at capacity and inmates are being sent to other counties. He said Sedgwick County would be interested in sending 40 prisoners to Marion County. Marion County would be paid $30 per prisoner per day or $438,000 per year.
The inmates sent from Sedgwick County would not be "hard core" felons, Klose said.
A meeting will be planned for a commission member and sheriff's officials to meet with Sedgwick County officials for further discussion.
In other sheriff's department business:
— Becker verified that members of the commission are signed up to attend training in October in Colorado. The free training is for officials of counties considering designing and constructing a new jail facility.
Four officials may attend at no cost other than travel expenses. Approximate costs for additional personnel would be $87 per day for a hotel room and $40 per day for meals, Becker said.
— A wrecked patrol car will be auctioned in April through Markley Service. Becker said the county would be charged $45 for the damaged car to be included in the auction. He added it was not feasible to use the car for parts for other patrol cars.
— Deputies will provide patrol at Marion County Park & Lake and Marion Reservoir. Reservoir patrol will begin Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, a total of 820 hours.
Deputies will be instructed to patrol the county lake as they begin and end patrolling, and when they return to Marion.
