BSRDC Leans on all four Counties to do Their Part to Recover from Financial Woes
By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor
Board members of The Big Sandy Regional Detention Center met several times in May to discuss an unpaid insurance bill that was due in December and that, as of July of this year, if still not paid, would mean the doors would close and all four counties, Lawrence, Johnson, Magoffin and Martin counties would have to find another location to take their prisoners.
According to jail Treasurer Pam Burgess, after initially being able to pay $130,000, the insurance bill from (KACo) Kentucky Association of Counties Insurance (liability and workers compensation) had a remaining balance due of $227,374.22 with no funds left in the accounts to pay that amount.
Burgess said the board knew this was coming but no provisions were made by the counties to accommodate it.
The board had previously voted to raise the daily rate for inmates to $36.34 in October but according to Burgess, that mostly goes for daily operations and in no way would’ve been enough to cover the upcoming insurance bill.
The facility could face a takeover by the state if counties don’t step up which would cost more money and changes such as setting daily inmate rates which Burgess said would no doubt be higher than they are at the present time.
Additionally, if the state were to take over control of BSRDC due to the board’s inability to pay the facilities bills, the jail would not be under local control and positions and management would be decided by the state. The state would also set daily inmate rates which Burgess said would no doubt be higher than they are at the present time.
Board members of BSRDC eventually decided, with consultation of each county’s leadership, that the leftover insurance balance would be split equally four ways between BSRDC members
Burgess said each county is responsible for coming up with a total amount of $56,843.56 and the deadline to have it to her is June 5.
A new invoice cannot be sent to her until this bill is paid in full.
“A portion of the balance is penalties from the payment being late,” said Burgess.
The penalty liability side of it so far totals $5749.21 and workers comp was an additional $1484.01, and that’s not counting further penalties that will be added on for the month of June.”
Currently, it has not been decided whether or not the member counties will take on this insurance cost every year, but as an ordinance that was put in place 46 years ago, some believe the four counties should treat the jail like it is a department of each county and should put forth more money toward its operations instead of just paying the housing bill each month.
It was reported that during the Covid epidemic, the jail spent money on covid tests, gloves and all other supplies with no help from the counties or the money each county received from covid funds.
One board member stated the counties need to start changing their mind-set that the jail is something they don’t need to worry about and it takes care of itself.
“They need to realize they are the owners of it and they need to change that mind-set and take better care of the jail they own,” said the board member.
Burgess said if they can pay this insurance bill in a timely matter before the deadline each year, they are eligible for a discount and she herself, has been able to do so in the past and received up to $3,000 per year in discounts.