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Commissioner Worley - Sheriff’s Office - To Appropriate Funding for Inmate Off-Site Housing & Medical Expenses ($264,000 Estimate)
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STAFF CONTACT
Alan Cloninger - Sheriff - 704-869-6860
BUDGET IMPACT
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Appropriate from Fund Balance $264,000 Estimate
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BUDGET ORDINANCE IMPACT
Appropriate from Fund Balance
BACKGROUND
The Gaston County Jail has experienced an exponential increase with inmate off-site medical costs for fiscal year 2018. In fiscal year 2017, off-site medical expenses totaled $128,321 (coming under budget by $46,679). The off-site expenses for fiscal year 2018 (July 2017 to February 2018) total $223,338.81 (nearly a 75% increase from total expenses in fiscal year 2017) and has exceeded the budget of $175,000 with four months remaining.
In addition to off-site medical cost increases, there has been a significant increase in costs for inmates in safekeeping at the Central Prison in Raleigh. The budget for housing at the Central Prison is $50,000 of which $32,160 has been used through February 2018. It is expected that this budget will be exceeded as well. The budget for safekeeping medical expenses is $100,000 of which $83,829 has been expended and $95,784.51 outstanding. This accounts for safekeeping billing received through February 2018 with four months remaining. While there is no way to know for certain the type and quantity of injuries that will occur or illnesses an inmate may have, it is projected the Sheriff’s Office will need approximately $264,000 for off-site inmate housing and medical costs for the remainder of fiscal year 2018. It is evident these increases have a direct correlation to the jail overpopulation, opioid crises, and chronic illness.
POLICY IMPACT
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
Budget Change Request