Empty beds at the Cabarrus County jail will be used for convicted criminals who, in the past, would have gone to state prisons.
Cabarrus County commissioners decided recently to participate voluntarily in a state program that was created as a part of the Justice Reinvestment Act. Last year under the proposed act, state legislators considered a mandatory change to sentencing laws that would have forced counties across the state to house inmates with a sentence of 180 days or less in local jails. In the past, inmates served sentences of 90 days or less in county jails and moved to state prisons if they had sentences longer than 90 days.
County officials from across North Carolina told state officials that the mandate would increase the strain on local budgets and that space would be an issue for some facilities. The General Assembly approved the Justice Reinvestment Act, but made the use of local jails for longer sentences a voluntary program in which counties receive reimbursement for the space.
The N.C. Division of Prisons also planned to close four state prisons last year including the one in Mount Pleasant. Now the state is looking for more space at county jails to help with the overflow. Cabarrus County opened a new jail in July.
“They’ve asked all 97 counties that have beds, how many beds they can provide to the program,” Cabarrus County Sheriff Brad Riley told Cabarrus County commissioners Friday during their annual retreat.
The state needs about 1,400 to 1,800 beds, Riley said.
“There are 30 beds that are open right now,” he said, adding that the state would reimburse the county for the beds. Those beds could be earning $40 per bed for each day they’re used by the state.
The empty beds also could be used to house inmates from neighboring counties that reach capacity or decided not to participate in the voluntary program.
“You can cut it off at any time,” Riley said. He said his staff would track the number of beds available and stop taking inmates if the jail was close to capacity.
Commissioners voted 5-0 to become a part of the voluntary program. Commissioner Jay White said one concern is that the program will, at some point, become mandated because that was the original intent.
Also, Cabarrus County officials have been offered the opportunity to take over the Cabarrus Correctional Center, which the state Division of Prisons closed on Dec. 1. The minimum-security prison is located in Mount Pleasant and housed 198 inmates before it closed. Those beds could be used to generate some revenue for the county if it takes over the facility.
Local officials have been trying to get the state to provide information on the cost to operate the facility and whether the more than 70-year-old facility would need to be updated to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
The Cabarrus Correctional Center was one of 61 field unit prisons built or renovated during the late 1930s to house inmates who worked building roads.
The original prison housed male inmates in two dormitories. Lawmakers provided an additional 100-bed dormitory at Cabarrus as part of the $10 million South Piedmont Consent Decree construction authorized in 1985.
Cabarrus County Manager Mike Downs said Cabarrus County needs to be part of the voluntary program to receive any funds even for its own misdemeanants serving sentences of 180 days or less.
“The only reason I wanted to get into the program is because we have this Mount Pleasant thing looming,” he said. “We would never ever be able to buy 200 beds for the price we could get that for when it comes open.”
Contact reporter Karen Cimino Wilson: 704-789-9141.
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