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M/CLOUDY Temp: 42 °F Wind: WNW at 3 mph Monday, March 3, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend February 11, 2003 Shortfall delays sheriff’s plan to transfer 16 female inmates The shift would have created more space for federal inmates whose presence boosts revenue By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune The state’s budget crisis has stalled a plan to create more room for female and federal prisoners in the Jackson County Jail. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department had planned to transfer 16 women from the main jail in Medford to the Talent Correctional Facility last week, said Sheriff Mike Winters. The shuffle would have opened up more room for federal prisoners and brought in more federal payments to the county. But the sheriff’s department has held off on the move because state funding for the Talent site is uncertain, Winters said. That could mean the number of prisoners and programs at the smaller jail would be cut. "We don’t want to just move them out there to turn around and move them back," Winters said. Jackson County Community Justice is scheduled to lose approximately 20 percent of funding it now receives from the state because of state budget cuts and low tax revenue projections, said Bob Grindstaff. The money is divided between adult and juvenile parole and probation departments and the jail. For the jail, that means a cut of more than $100,000 from the $965,000 it received from the state last year, according to county officials. A new revenue forecast due to be released this month could result in additional cuts, Grindstaff said. The operating budget for the Talent jail is approximately $400,000, sheriff’s officials said. "If we lose $100,000 we may have to cut that facility (in Talent) down," Winters said. The sheriff’s department had planned to dedicate a 21-bed dormitory in Talent to housing women while retaining 25 beds for female inmates in the main jail, officials said. The main jail now has enough beds for 41 women. The total jail population, which is capped by a federal court order, is 190 prisoners. The change in Talent would open up five more beds for women in custody and allow them to participate in cognitive restructuring programs offered at the Talent facility, Winters said. However, the fate of those programs — also dependent on state funds — is in question, Community Justice officials said. But moving about 65 percent of the jail’s female population to Talent could help generate money to close the budget gap, Winters said. The sheriff said he wants to use extra beds to lodge federal prisoners, collecting about $73 per day for each one. Local agencies do not reimburse the sheriff’s department for housing inmates that police bring in on criminal charges. "We’re looking for paying customers," Winters said. Inmates with federal charges made up about 10 percent of the jail’s population Monday. Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Marshals Service have told sheriff’s officials that they expect the numbers to increase over the next few months, Winters said. The number of federal prisoners in the county jail typically fluctuates, said sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Stark. The length of time federal prisoners stay in the county jail is determined by the agency that lodges them and can vary from one day to several months, he said. The sheriff’s department is still pursuing a plan — similar to one in Douglas County — to charge sentenced prisoners for the time they spend in jail, Winters said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S