For the past couple of months, Henderson County has been housing their inmates out of the county due to staffing and the size of their jail, reports Sheriff Matt Link:
“We are temporarily housing prisoners out of the jail. Right now, Warren County houses all of the males for us and McDonough County houses our females. Of course, as small as we are we will never be able to house females at our jail anyway, just for the sight and sound separation that is required. I still encourage people to apply with us. I have had conversations with our County Board, we are going through union negotiations as well, and it has been a long talk with the County Board on if we keep housing out of county, can we get enough people and afford to have that amount of employees that we need. Right now, I base it off ten employees, just like Warren County, because we have to have two people 24 hours a day. By that math, you really need ten employees, just because you have to cover other people’s days off, vacations, and all that.”
For Henderson County to house their male inmates in Warren County the cost is $45 per person, per day and for the female inmates in McDonough County, $50 per person, per day.