SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ) – Shawano County says they were forced to end an agreement with the city that traded services for free municipal jail holds because it was costing them too much money.
In 2004, it was decided that the County could use the city gun range for free if they allowed the city to use county jail beds for municipal holds.
The agreement was made at the time by former Sheriff Randy Wright and Police Chief Ed Whealon, who has since been elected Mayor of Shawano.
Individuals were being ordered to spend time in jail if they refused to pay their fines for municipal violations.
Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber says inmates would spend between 5 to 15 days behind bars at a cost of $50 dollars a day that the city did not have to pay due to the agreement.
“The taxpayers just can eat that cost.”
Bieber said giving that space without money in exchange has set them back over $145,000 dollars in the last four years.
“The city isn’t paying for that bed space. We are covering that cost and we are not able to make our budget because we are renting bed space to an agency that isn’t paying.”
He says because the County does not fund the Sheriff’s Office enough for them to make budget, they rent out bed space to nearby counties who find themselves at capacity and says that money is paid, so giving space for free is money lost.
“We are one of the only counties that have bunk beds.”
Sheriff Bieber says that setup allows them to put two inmates in each cell.
Looking at the numbers, Bieber said $50 dollars a day added up real fast.
“That averaged about $28,000 dollars a year, so one would have to say that using the gun range is equal to about $28,000 dollars a year.”
Since ending the agreement, the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office has worked out a new agreement with the Shawano Gun Club to use their facility at a much cheaper cost of $1000 dollars a year.
Shawano City Administrator Eddie Shepard says the decision caught them by surprise but if this holds, they will have to make some budget decisions.
“We are still hoping to have a conversation with the Public Safety Committee to see if there is another opportunity to partner.”
He says the City of Shawano would like to continue to work with the County but once the county pulled out from their half of the agreement, it voided the whole agreement.
“This is not retaliation. This was an exchange of services that we were told by them is no longer going to be an agreement.”
He says if no agreement can be made, it could also mean that the Municipal Court Judge would have to consider not using jail as a deterrent as often as they have been.
“We understand that he likes using this and found it to be effective. There is a concern that if there is not a penalty for not paying fines, people will not pay them.”
Beiber says in many cases, people who are sent to jail do not end up paying the fines anyway or they take their time doing it. He says the city has other options to ensure that they get the fine money including garnishing wages of those who have not paid, or by setting up a tax refund hold. Sheriff Bieber says other counties have gone to this method.
Cost of housing municipal prisoners, according to Shawano County Jail records:
• 2012 – 59 beds = $2,950 (Partial year, October 2012 to December 2012)
• 2013 – 564 beds = $28,200
• 2014 – 366 beds = $18,300
• 2015 — 500 beds = $25,000
• 2016 — 965 beds = $48,250
• 2017 — 835 beds = $41,750
• 2018 — 574 beds = $28,700
