Bureau County committee tables Cook County inmate deal to fine tune details

A Bureau County Board committee tabled consideration of an intergovernmental agreement to accept jail inmate transfers from Cook County.

The Technology, Building and Grounds Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to reconsider the item once the terms of the intergovernmental agreement were set, including such stipulations as how much the county will receive per day for each inmate, transportation of inmates after their time is served and limits on the number of inmates the county will receive. Once the terms of the agreement were set, the proposal could be brought to the full board for a vote.

Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed said the county is in no hurry to reach an agreement and he would prefer the County Board have all its questions answered before moving forward.

He reassured the committee and more than a dozen residents in attendance, including Princeton’s mayor, the arrangement is nowhere as dangerous or unmanageable as has been portrayed on social media.

Reed said the county can choose which inmates it receives and can specify in its agreement that inmates will be returned to Cook County after they are finished serving their time. He also said visitation is conducted through video conferences, so it is unlikely inmates will receive visitors in-person at the jail. Visitation in-person at the jail is only provided to those individuals who can’t afford the technology to conduct a video conference.

If the county were to take 10 inmates, it would yield more than $237,000 a year, Reed said. He would divert those funds to step up patrols in the many communities without full-time police forces, with the goal of adding two deputies. Reed has said the county negotiated a food service contract based on an average daily population of 25 and medical services for 27. Last year, however, the average headcount was 11. Cook County transfers would give taxpayers better value for their money, he has said.

Neighboring La Salle County has an intergovernmental agreement to accept Cook County jail inmate transfers. Jason Edgcomb, superintendent of La Salle County Jail, said intergovernmental agreements with Cook County alone bring in about $15,000 a month.

Reed said he has spoken with former La Salle County Sheriff Tom Templeton and he spoke about one of the few bad experiences the county had, in which an inmate covered himself with feces. Templeton said he was able to have Cook County pick up that inmate. Reed used that example to demonstrate if Bureau County were to have any bad experiences with inmates, they could be transferred from the jail. Reed also indicated Bureau County could terminate the agreement at any time.

County Board member Thomas Dolbrich, D-DePue, said Templeton told him it would be a good thing for Bureau County to enter into the intergovernmental agreement, because it has been a positive for La Salle County.

Six residents spoke during public comment, including Princeton Mayor Ray Mabry. The mayor said residents who have spoken to him were opposed of the idea, so that is why he would be in opposition as well. He said the Princeton City Council had an open discussion and were in agreement.

Janet Day also spoke during public comment Tuesday, saying that she had changed her mind about the agreement after hearing more information. She was at first opposed to the idea, but now she supports it and asked the public to trust Reed.

The committee suggested Bureau County could increase the fee to $70 per day for the inmates and set the cap at 10 inmates at a time. A stipulation also is expected to be added to the agreement in which Cook County would have to return inmates after they have served their time.