Cost of Inmates Drops for Burleigh County | Video

Joel Porter | 5/7/2012

The Burleigh County jail has been housing a record number of inmates in the past month. The jail has 138 beds, but has had to make room for 166 inmates.

Sheriff Pat Heinert says on average, it costs around $60 a day to house an inmate at the jail. He says it`s now about two dollars cheaper per day per inmate because of the rising population. Heinert says they`ve also switched health insurance plans and they`re now using a new electronic security system at the jail.

"The city spends in excess of a quarter million dollars a year for the county to house inmates. So any reduction will be a benefit to the city."

The county houses inmates who either have not posted bond and are awaiting trial or those who are sentenced to less than a year.

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