Simple jail deal for Gadsden with Etowah County: $50 a day per inmate

The City of Gadsden has a new contract to house its inmates in the James L. Hayes Detention Center, and it’s quite simple: $50 a day, per inmate. “Whether it’s one or 101,” according to Shane Ellison, Etowah County’s chief administrative officer.

The County Commission and City Council approved the deal at their respective meetings on Tuesday. It’s a three-way arrangement between the city, the county and Sheriff Jonathon Horton, who’s in charge of the jail.

It takes effect Aug. 1 and is for one year with renewal options, according to Ellison, who said the price would be renegotiated after the first year.

The last jail contract between the city and county expired on Sept. 30, 2022, but contained a monthly renewal provision that has been in effect while negotiations have been ongoing.

Those talks began in November, after Mayor Craig Ford’s administration took office in Gadsden.

The previous contract was for $779,000, and Ford expects the new arrangement, which he called “a big deal,” to save the city close to $300,000. “It’s a fabulous situation for the city,” he said.

Tena King, Gadsden’s director of city services, who launched the negotiations, said many Alabama cities that have similar jail agreements have gone to paying on a per-day basis instead of a lump sum. Based on past averages of the number of city inmates housed in the jail, she expects the annual tab to be about $500,000.

Commission President Craig Inzer Jr. said the city will be billed monthly from the jail’s check-in sheets.

“It’s gone a lot of different ways, but I think this is an easy way,” he said.

Ford said the booking process should also be faster and more efficient for Gadsden police officers.

“A lot of long, hard talks took place,” he added. “We want to thank the county and the sheriff for working with us.”

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden, Etowah County approve new jail deal