ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - A county jail in northwest South Dakota has become a popular destination to house inmates from other county jails in the state.
Kurt Hall, Faulk County Jail Sheriff, said the 35-bed prison has contracts to house offenders from 13 counties and each county pays a nightly rate of $85 per inmate, the Aberdeen American News reported .
Less than 30 of the state’s 66 counties have jails, according to Hall.
Faulk County’s $5.5 million jail was completed in 2017.
“We had a jail, but it was built in 1918, so it was either get out of the business or get something full,” Hall said.
Hall said the new jail has provided a financial boost to the region, including to the local pharmacy and the area’s Meals on Wheels program.
Emily Richardt, executive director of Area IV Senior Nutrition, said the Faulkton team added three new part-time employees to assist making meals for inmates at the jail.
Hall noted that the jail has nine to 12 inmates on average, but that the population could increase if anyone protests the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in the spring and arrests are made.
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Information from: Aberdeen American News, http://www.aberdeennews.com
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