Layoffs, Inmate Reductions Announced for Jail

The Marion-Hardin Corrections Commission Wednesday approved the 2012 fiscal budget for the Multi-County Correctional Center. While Hardin County has agreed to keep their funding levels at the jail at 2011 levels, Marion County will be reducing their funding to the jail by 12.7% or $355,796. According to Dale Osborn, Executive Director of the Multi-County Correctional Center, the cuts from Marion County will cause severe cutbacks in staffing and the number of inmates the jail can hold.

Due to the revenue reduction, nine corrections officers will be laid off effective December 31, 2011 and additional support staff are currently being reviewed for further cutbacks in personnel.

Additionally, Osborn states that the number of beds at the jail will be reduced from 182 beds to 147 beds due to the limited correctional staff that will continue to be working at the jail. Marion County will be losing 31 beds and Hardin County will be losing two beds.

With a current average daily population of 173 inmates being housed at the jail, early releases of inmates are expected. Most, if not all, of the inmates who will be released will be Marion County inmates.

Since 2008 Marion County has been forced to reduce funding provided to the jail by nearly $600,000 annually.

“We have been trying to hold our own over the last few years, but this year’s cut has put us over the top as far as trying to remain at full capacity," explained Osborn. "I give my excellent staff of corrections officers, supervisors, and support staff a lot of credit for keeping us at full capacity to this point. It is very unfortunate to the residents of Marion County that we will no longer be able to meet the incarceration demands of our criminal element.”

The cuts at the jail were not unexpected as officials had promised the changes would be coming following the defeat of the sales tax increase in November.