State inmate housing delays could cost county taxpayers hundreds of thousands a year

Washington County officials are joining other counties in voicing their frustration over how much the state Department of Corrections pays counties to house inmates in their jails.

Historically, per Oklahoma state law, the DOC pays counties $27 a day to house inmates after they are sentenced to state prison. But counties argue that's a fraction of the actual costs.

State Auditor Cindy Byrd reported DOC pays $57 to $108 per day for state prison inmates and argues the state is incentivized to keep prisoners at the county level where their cost is only one-third to one-half that amount.

"Sadly, the DOC is taking advantage of counties by housing inmates at their jails at a rate of $27 per day," Byrd wrote in a statement. "Because the counties are now forced to incur these costs, the citizens will receive fewer core services from their counties, such as road repairs and law enforcement."

Local impact and strain on county resources

For Washington County, Undersheriff Jon Copeland reports the average daily cost per inmate is $60.11. He said that discrepancy slowly adds up because it can take an average of eight to 12 months for an inmate to be transferred to a state facility.

After the $ 27-a-day reimbursement from the state, the additional cost is absorbed by Washington County taxpayers at approximately $8,000 to $12,000 per inmate over that waiting period. With an average of 20 to 30 inmates waiting to be transferred, that cost eats into the county's budget.

"I understand the state and DOC's stance that they shouldn't absorb the total cost because we have the building and the infrastructure and the lights and the employees, but $27 a day doesn't cut it," said Copeland.

He pointed out, for example, that they have a contract with the Cherokee Nation to house inmates for $52 a day.

Copeland hopes that if the state starts paying its fair share, it will free up the budget to reinvest in officer training.

"The state has tremendously scaled back its regional training, so it's falling on the individual agencies," Copeland said. "We can take those cost savings and then redirect them over to training like de-escalation and defensive type things."

Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling

Last month, the Oklahoma Supreme Court opened the door for county jails to potentially charge more than the state's $27 per day base rate for housing state prisoners. Still, there is a catch: the charges must be strictly for expenses incurred from the prisoners' incarceration.

The ruling allows for additional charges for variable expenses like food, housing and medical care but restricts claims for fixed costs unless counties can demonstrate these expenses are a direct result of housing state inmates.

Byrd called the ruling "extremely unfortunate" and expressed dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court's decision, pointing out it should require DOC to reimburse counties based on the average daily costs they calculate for jail operations per inmate.

Citing the Oklahoma Constitution, Byrd said using local taxpayer funds for state obligations is barred, such as expenses for inmates whom the state should financially cover after their district court convictions.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Washington County joins outcry over state's inmate reimbursement rate