Growing jail population creates headaches for county

The information in this story previously attributed to County Commissioner Paul Koeper should have been attributed to County Commissioner Charlie Herbst. The story has been edited to reflect the difference. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

On Thursday afternoon, 172 people were incarcerated in the Cape Girardeau County Jail, according to online sheriff's department records.

Seven were suspected of murder. Ten were accused of sex crimes. Thirteen faced assault charges, a dozen were robbery suspects, and one was suspected of deliberately causing a fire or explosion.

Others were awaiting trial on lesser charges such as using illegal drugs, trespassing or bouncing checks.

"You could have several or many nonviolent people sitting in jail just because they don't have two nickels to rub together to get out," said Charlie Herbst, associate county commissioner.

Capt. James Mulcahy, jail administrator, said on any given day, about 30 percent to 40 percent of Cape Girardeau County's inmates are awaiting trial.

While they wait, county taxpayers are picking up the tab to feed, clothe and confine them, Herbst said.

"They're just taking up space," he said. "It's costing you about $45 a day just to have that person in there."

As the jail population rises -- Mulcahy said the daily average is 176 prisoners, up from 155 just three or four years ago -- it raises logistical issues.

The county commission is looking for a long-term solution to those issues.

Thinking ahead

Last month, an architect presented commissioners with three options for consolidating, upgrading and expanding county facilities, including the courthouse, jail and administrative offices. All of the options included an expanded jail.

The county is putting together a citizens advisory committee to look at the options and make recommendations.

Sheriff John Jordan said the Cape Girardeau County Jail was built to accommodate about 210 prisoners at a time. This year, the population reached 254 at one point, forcing officials to get creative, he said.

"When they come in like that, you've really got to be careful how you put them in there," Jordan said.

Nonviolent offenders stay in dorms, and if the population is especially high, some inmates may end up sleeping on mattresses on the floor, Jordan said.

"They've got them in bunk beds," Herbst said.

The current jail, which opened in March 2001, can handle up to 250 inmates in a pinch, Mulcahy said, but sometimes that means using the old jail as overflow space.

One of the jail's biggest

challenges is handling prisoners with mental illnesses, Mulcahy said.

"Biggest thing for us is dealing with the mental problems that come into the jail," he said. "Some folks are just not geared for that type of environment and should be held elsewhere with mental problems. ... We're not trained to cope with those types of people."

Who's in jail?

Mulcahy declined to go into all the variables involved in the increase in the number of county inmates, but he said population growth is a factor.

He estimated about 30 percent of the prisoners are nonviolent offenders.

"It's a lot more than you think," Mulcahy said.

Drugs and alcohol account for many of those offenders, he said.

People may be in trouble for driving while intoxicated, or they may get drunk and commit petty crimes such as theft, Mulcahy said.

"Some may be under the influence of alcohol, and some may be under the influence of some other drug," he said.

The population tends to increase around weekends, Jordan said.

Part of that is because of alcohol arrests, and part is because of "weekenders" -- offenders serving shorter sentences over the course of several weekends rather than on consecutive days, officials said.

Judges sometimes allow weekend-only sentences for offenders who are caring for family members or facing unemployment if they miss too much work.

"If an inmate that gets weekends utilizes that for what it's intended to be used, it's a good thing," Mulcahy said, but it creates hassles for jailers who have to check inmates for contraband every time they report to jail.

The county also houses up to 42 federal inmates at a time, Jordan said.

The federal government pays the county $50.82 per prisoner per day, bringing in $600,000 to $750,000 annually, he said.

That revenue is used to retire the bond debt on the jail, Jordan said.

Alternatives

County officials are looking for solutions to the jail population problem, Herbst said.

One option may be a program used in Greene County, Mo., he said.

Greene County uses something called pretrial services to evaluate inmates' histories and determine an appropriate placement, Herbst said.

Defendants deemed likely to return for court dates may be released from jail without posting bond, similar to being released on their own recognizance, which frees up jail space for more serious offenders and allows low-risk defendants to remain productive while they await trial, he said.

Herbst said the sheriff's department works closely with judges to ensure space is available for offenders who truly need to be incarcerated.

Another approach is to place defendants on electronic monitoring, Herbst and Jordan said.

In 2014, the county is allocating money for more electronic devices that allow authorities to keep tabs on offenders without incarcerating them, Jordan said.

Eventually, Mulcahy said, the county will have to expand its jail.

"The only long-term solution is eventually to build a bigger mousetrap. You build a bigger facility," he said.

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