McHenry County Losing $21 a Day in Operating Costs by Housing Federal Detainees/Prisoners

The day room of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement floor.

The day room of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement floor.

Back at the April 17th McHenry County Board meeting, John Hammerand wondered how much the county was losing by housing Federal immigration detainees and prisoners.

See “John Hammerand Wonders If the Benefits to County Outweigh the Costs of Housing Federal Inmates.”

At that time consultant Joseph Summerill estimated that $131.38 would have to be the per diem charge to break even.

The numbers have now been revised downward and the Finance Committee was told yesterday that the County’s cost was $106 per day.

The County, however, is being paid $85 per day per inmate.

Perhaps it is good news that the County taxpayers are only losing $21 a day per person, rather than the $46.38 previously estimated for McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren’s inspiration.

I am not aware as to whether the $6.5 million that the Feds gave McHenry County to build out the unfinished fourth floor of the jail has been included in the cost-benefit equation.


Comments

McHenry County Losing $21 a Day in Operating Costs by Housing Federal Detainees/Prisoners — 10 Comments

  1. I recall on several occasions that Nygren/Zinke would brag about how much money they brought in with the ICE unit.

    NEVER would say how much went OUT.

    We need and administration in the Sheriff’s Office that knows how to add.

  2. Golly Gee…Nygren wrangled this whole INS rental agreement to justify his build out the third floor of the jail requiring he hire 100 more correction officers to staff that bigger jail.

    Now it is a LOSS?

    So I guess local taxpayers now subsidize the INS.

    When INS rental goes away (and it will) who then will pays for all the high paid Correction Officers sitting around with nothing to do?

    Will the County lay them off?

    Did you know that they designed this jail using INDIRECT Supervision rather than DIRECT supervision?

    Direct has the CO’s in the working down DIRECT in the jail pods and requires fewer Correction officers.

    Indirect requires control rooms, extra halls and doors and most importantly extra personnel.

    Other jails such as Lake Co are using Direct Supervision and operate much more efficiently and with fewer officers.

    Maybe Prim and Harrison should learn more about the operation of the jails.

    Direct vs Indirect.

    What the FUTURE predicts in INS rentals.

    Sure looks like this is another weak point for Zinke.

    OH WAIT…they changed the Organizational Chart so the Jail isn’t under his Command, or IS IT?

    Does he still wear TWO patches?

    One Corrections and One regular patch.

    Bet you won’t hear Andy extolling this in his talking points.

  3. WHEN the jail was initially built back in the early 90’s, the third floor was added and left empty IN CASE it would be needed at a later time, instead of building a two story building and then, when needed, tearing it up and adding another floor.

    Forsight on behalf of the county board members and then Sheriff Hendle to SAVE THE TAXPAYERS the extream costs of adding a floor; and the system used, AT THAT TIME, was the system still in use today as it was modled after PRISONS visited for jail ideas.

    The buildout of the third floor was close to becoming necessary a few yeard ago, and instead of costing the TAXPAYERS 6.5 million dollars in the THEN cost of the buildout, an agreement was made with the government to have it paid for by them (actually our money-but why split hairs).

    Monday morning quarterbacking helps nothing, and there was probably an agreement with INS to get the THEN job done.

    Since there was probably a CONTRACT drawn up at the time between INS and the county, if all you back seat lawyers want to end the contract before it’s time, go ahead and spend more money defending yourselfs from being sued for breaking the government’s contract.

  4. A whole lot of guessing and bad math going into this critique.

    Factor in the buildout money given by the federal govt to improve the empty space(Millions that the County Taxpayers would have one day otherwise been on the hook for all by themselves) and the indirect revenue and this a positive revenue impact for the County.

    Add that to the many additional jobs it brought into our community and it seems to be irresponsible to argue against.

    This is a pretty massive success.

    After all how many times does a govt program that add jobs to a community even come close to break even let alone actually having a positive impact on a govt budget?

  5. No one is making money except public agency employees and contractors.

    Either county taxpayers are paying the tab for the facility, or Federal taxpayers are.

  6. In 2009, 28,900,000 was allocated to the Sheriff’s Department for expenditures.

    In 2010, 29,800,000 was allocated to the Sheriff’s Department for expenditures.

    In 2011, 31,100,000 was allocated to the Sheriff’s Department for expenditures.

    In 2012, the Sheriff’s Department requested a budget of $33,000,000.

    In 2012, the Sheriff’s Department received $28,000,000 for expenditures.

    I think $7,000 every year as a net loss for prison housing is pennies compared to what the Sheriff’s Department is losing because our county is not adequately supporting them financially.

    Also, Cal said, “I am not aware as to whether the $6.5 million that the Feds gave McHenry County to build out the unfinished fourth floor of the jail has been included in the cost-benefit equation.”

    That’s kind of an important detail especially when you are slamming someone about losing $21 a day.

    They say in football you should “Catch the ball, then run.”

    In journalism, you should “research before writing.”

    Someone dropped the ball on this story.

  7. Fukoku/Sum Ting/anonymous coward-

    It is pretty clear that if you don’t work for MCSD, you are some other species of public agency parasite. Only a parasite would see Federal and County tax revenues as one and the same.

    Look at your budget numbers- then compare them to the economy of the real world over that time period. Why do you think any public agency should get any increase at all during that time period? Parasites don’t take the health of their host into consideration.

    The other kicker is your mention of a $7000 ‘loss’. Its all lost money- money private industry generated.

    Paying prison guards is no different than paying unemployed people to pick up roadside trash. Different pay grade, different job description- but the money that covers your paycheck comes from the same account that covers that unemployed mother’s welfare check.

    Oh, that’s right- because the money you earn falls from the sky, as if by magic.

  8. Perhaps the construction grant will be considered in the final report.

  9. Dum Ding Dong sounds like the walrus’s personal errand boy Donnie, the EEO/ defense lawyer. Start checking the classifieds for a new job, your time is coming.

  10. Everyone has your number EEO Don
    Of course if The clown doesn’t win your looking for a job again. Sum ting wrong with that. I think not

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *