Wednesday, June 13, 2012

County commissioners have approved an increase in fees at the Sedgwick County jail.

It will now cost cities $2.34 per hour to house inmates, a 25-cent increase. Officials said hike will bring in an additional $310,000 to the county.

Commissioners said the intent is not to bring in revenue, but rather decrease the number of inmates in the jail.

The City of Wichita isn't happy with the increase. Manager Bob Layton says the county asked for the city to reduce its inmates in the jail, and it has.
"We have done everything that the county has asked, successfully done that," said Layton. "and because of budget problems they are shifting the costs to not only Wichita but to other communities in Sedgwick County."
The city pays between $2.5 million and $3 million a year to the county in jail fees.
KAKE's Deb Farris will have more on this story on later KAKE newscasts.