By Billy Davis

Panola County taxpayers expect federal inmates at the county jail to pay for the facility, not add to the tax burden, Board of Supervisors president Gary Thompson said Monday.

“I feel like we need to be justified in doing this,” said Thompson, directing his words to Sheriff Otis Griffin at the Second District meeting in Batesville.

Griffin was continuing a topic he broached last week, when he sought new hirings and pay raises within the sheriff’s department in a speech that ran for about 25 minutes.

The sheriff’s only reference to last week came early, when he said he had “requested” the hirings and pay raises — not “demanded” them, a reference to a February 8 headline in The Panolian.

Supervisors had changed their tactic, too: Thompson, after saying only a few words last week, seemed prepared to debate the sheriff’s list of requests.

The introduction of federal inmates, when first proposed, was meant to help pay down the debt on the new jail addition, Thompson pointed out.

Introducing federal inmates was meant to create a “revenue stream” at the sheriff’s department and be “self-sustaining,” Thompson told the sheriff.

Griffin said last week the county is set to be reimbursed $40.07 per inmate per day, with guard salaries reimbursed at $18.58 per hour per guard.

But the jail must house 10 federal inmates just to pay the salaries for four jailers, and as many as 18 federal inmates to pay for Griffin’s others budget requests, the board president suggested.  

Thompson also suggested that Griffin should bring his hiring and pay raise requests when the Board of Superviors prepares for its annual budget. That is typically done in late summer.

“None of this is in your budget, right?” he asked the sheriff.

District 5 Supervisor Bubba Waldrup, who did not speak last week, suggested to the sheriff that he return with a projected cost to house, feed and transport the federal inmates.

County Administrator Kelley Magee suggested that the sheriff’s estimates include “wear and tear” on automobiles and overtime pay for jailers.

The sheriff said he would prepare figures for a recessed meeting set for February 22 at 4 p.m.

Magee also asked the sheriff if the federal government planned to reimburse Panola County government for medical care.

“I don’t think so,” Griffin replied, explaining that the $40 inmate reimbursement includes the cost of medical care for the inmates.

“What is the rate per inmate?” asked Supervisor Kelly Morris. “The number has been up and down.”

“That figure is locked in,” the sheriff replied, referring again to the $40 figure.

Jailers need training

Griffin informed supervisors the sheriff’s department could experience some growing costs if he follows through on a plan to send jailers to certification classes.

The classes run approximately 2 ½ weeks, with most classes held “down south,” he explained.

Six of 19 jailers are certified, a concern that has caught the attention of insurer Travelers, Griffin told the county board.

“Some (jailers) are getting hurt because they don’t know what to do,” said the sheriff, who was once certified as a jailer for the sheriff’s department.

“Is that not a requirement?” asked Thompson.

“Most of the time you certify them once you hire them,” Griffin replied.

The Tate County sheriff is trying to organize a certification class locally, but even that would leave openings at the jail, Griffin further explained.

The sheriff also asked the county board to consider repairing the parking lot and road at the sheriff’s department, after hearing plans for the county to improve its parking lot at the Batesville courthouse.