Sheriff’s office presents its budget request

Published 11:22 am Friday, September 29, 2017

DALTON, Ga.— Two years ago, the Whitfield County jail averaged about 390 to 400 inmates a day. Lately, it has been averaging about 490 to 500 a day, Maj. John Gibson told members of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners Thursday night during a budget meeting.

Gibson said two factors have been driving that increase.

“We have inmates who have been sentenced to alternative sentencing — drug rehab and things like that,” he said. “But there’s limited bed space in those programs, so they have to wait, and they are staying in the jail longer. Instead of staying in the jail two or three months before a bed becomes available, they are staying seven or eight months. I’m all for those alternative sentences. I’ve been a cop for 40 years, and I know that locking people up isn’t working. We need to put more resources into them.”

He says the county has already seen a big increase in probation violation, especially felony probation.

“People aren’t showing up for their probation meeting. They aren’t doing the things required of them by their probation,” he said.

And that’s having an impact on the jail budget.

The sheriff’s office is requesting a $8 million corrections budget for 2018, up from $7.4 million in 2017.

Two of the biggest drivers in that increase are inmates meals, which would increase to $628,616 next year from $526,000 this year, and inmate health care, which would increase to $598,000 from $458,000.

By state law, the jail is responsible for health care of inmates while they are in custody. And Gibson told commissioners many of the prisoners come in with chronic health issues that have to be taken care of such as diabetes.

The corrections budget also calls for $91,444 for salaries, benefits and equipment for two new deputies for the court services division. That division currently has 15 deputies. Capt. Steve Fields told commissioners that the division has the same number of deputies as it did a decade ago but the work load has increased steadily over that time.

In addition to providing security for the courthouse and judges, the division transports prisoners and those involuntarily committed to mental and substance abuse facilities and serves warrants and civil papers.

The budget also calls for $889,002 for health insurance for employees, up from $831,890 this year, and $270,695 in pension costs, up from $180,060 this year.

County Finance Director Alicia Vaughn says those numbers just represent the jail’s share of county payroll. She says that recent accounting changes have reduced the expected rate of return on investments in the county’s pension, which means the county must put in more money to keep it fully funded.

The sheriff’s office is asking for a $7.3 million patrol budget for 2018, up from $6.8 million this year. The largest line item increases in that budget are health care — to $963,857 from $896,560 this year — and pension — to $339,325 from $182,181 this year.