Princeton council weighs in unfavorably to Bureau County housing Cook County inmates

The Princeton City Council weighed in Jan. 20 on a Bureau County Board item to house inmates from Cook County, with each council member saying they opposed the idea.

Mayor Ray Mabry brought up to the council that the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office is considering housing up to 50 Cook County inmates at the jail in Princeton as a way to generate revenue and keep the jail fully functioning.

“I’ve had a number of residents approach me and say it’s not a good idea, and I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Mabry said. “I’ll say that in fairness to the County Board they’ve tabled this to the next meeting and I’ll be attending that meeting listening and learning.”

Council member Hector Gomez said he attended the Jan. 14 County Board meeting and he wasn’t concerned about the inmates, which he said would be secure in the jail, but any visitors who would come to Princeton to see the inmates.

Council members Jerry Neumann, Michael McCall and Martin Makransky said they spoke to residents not in favor of it, and added that they also were not in favor of the idea.

The discussions is scheduled to resume at a Bureau County Board committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 5. The Bureau County Board sets policy for the jail. The Princeton City Council has no jurisdiction over it.

Sheriff Jim Reed recommended the board postpone final action to study the issue more closely – and to sift through social media feedback that he said was misguided and inaccurate.

Besides bringing in revenue, Reed said additional inmates would be welcome because the Bureau County Jail needs to be occupied and used lest it fall into disrepair. Similarly, the county has entered into food and service contracts and risks losing money by not keeping the daily census afloat.

Leasing overflow space to overcrowded jails is an arrangement that has worked for La Salle County. Jason Edgcomb, superintendent of La Salle County Jail, said intergovernmental agreements with other counties have generated needed revenue. Cook County alone brings in about $15,000 a month and the arrangement has not led to any issues, he said. If it were to enter into an agreement, Bureau County would receive $65 per day for each inmate it accepts.