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Webster County currently owes a jail bill of roughly $3.4 million.
“We probably owe the most of any county, out of all of them, but every one of them is struggling,” Webster Commission President Kimble Tanner said.
Webster is one of several counties more than 90 days behind on paying to house inmates at the state’s regional jails. But representatives from every county West Virginia Public Broadcasting spoke to said their county was struggling with jail costs that in some cases have more than doubled in recent years.
“We’re like all the other commissioners throughout the state trying to figure ways and means to be able to keep up with it and still provide the necessary services that we are required to,” McDowell County Commission President Michael Brooks said.
McDowell County isn’t currently behind. But Brooks said the rising bill has devastated the county budget.
“We are certainly not going to tell our deputies and other officers throughout our county not to make an arrest if they deem necessary,” Brooks said. “However, we keep hearing that there’s going to be items and circumstances discussed on a state level to bring some relief, but at this juncture I have not witnessed any.”
Kanawha County Commission President Lance Wheeler said the detention costs have far outpaced revenue in the last two years. This year’s bill is roughly $1 million higher than last year’s.
“What we’ve seen is roughly about a 25% increase every year. Just this year, for our fiscal budget, the Kanawha County Commission approved a $5 million budget for one year in our jail bill,” Wheeler said. “In fact, we just got our May report that we’re looking at $450,000 just for May alone.”
That’s up 56% from May 2024.
The Division of Corrections, responding to an inquiry from public broadcasting, said the agency recognizes the concerns facing county governments and is currently reviewing the issue.
“We look forward to meeting with county officials and other stakeholders in the coming weeks to discuss options,” an emailed statement read.