Court Transport Update

Just an update… today 26 Pike County inmates were transported to court from out of county facilities by the Pike County Sheriff’s Office corrections/transport staff starting pick up of those inmates on midnight shift. After court, 31 inmates were transported back by two vans and a patrol cruiser( 5 deputies) to Butler County and Scioto County Jails. A total prisoner population count for Pike County inmates being housed in out of county facilities today at 4:00 pm was 65. Even if we averaged $45.00 per day per inmate ( which we do not, the average is much higher) and not calculating fuel, vehicle maintenance, and the cost of the corrections/transport deputies, we are spending no less than $2,925.00 tonight to house them. If each of them serve 30 days in jail, we will have a cost of no less than $87,750.00 for just those 65.

Last month, the cost to house Pike County inmates out of county was at or above $100,000.00. My budget line appropriations for prisoner transport for year 2017 was $600,000.00. In year 2016, over 1.3 million dollars was spent housing Pike County inmates out of county. There is absolutely no doubt that we will exceed that number this year being that 40% to 45% of that budget line has been paid out thus far this year.

A simple explanation of the duties of the Sheriff in reference to the courts and inmates:

I am bound by the Administrative Code to house any inmate in Pike County or any person wanted ( has active arrest warrant) by another county or law enforcement agency that is charged with a violation of the Ohio Revised Code and any person sentenced to jail by the court. I have no choice. I am bound by the Administrative Code to transport and house prisoners, serve the courts, and make sure that civil or criminal process and orders of the court are followed and served. This is a cost that no one can predict year to year and if everyone is doing the job they have been elected or hired to do, the blame lies on no other than the people who commit criminal offenses in the jurisdiction of Pike County.

Thanks for reading,

Sheriff Charlie Reader