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| County to Pay Less for Prison Medical |
| By WJBDRadio.com |
| Published: 11/07/2005 |
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Marion County Sheriff Brad Wolenhaupt says an Illinois law means the county will pay less for medical care of jail inmates than originally expected. That should help the county with its rising inmate medical expenses, which have surpassed over $100,000 for the fiscal year. Wolenhaupt says under the state Public Aide Law and a county ordinance passed last year, the county must only pay the Public Aid rates for medical treatments. As a result, the county's medical bills for inmates for September were reduced by $25,000 to about $22,000. Inmate medical bills for October totaled just over $22,000. Wolenhaupt adds that he has met with State Senator John O. Jones and State Representative Kurt Granberg to discuss what the state could do to help county jails with increasing medical costs. In other action, the County Board Finance Committee approved paying for the installation and activation of mobile data terminals in six Sheriff's Department squad cars. The county received a $38,000 grant from the US Department of Justice to purchase the computers, but Sheriff Wolenhaupt says the grant doesn't cover the $300 installation cost and $1,000 activation fee for each unit. He adds that subscriptions to the LEADS database for the computers will cost a total of $2,900 annually. Wolenhaupt says the in-squad units will allow deputies to access information they currently have to radio dispatch for, including outstanding warrants. The expenses must still be approved by the finance committee and full county board. Sheriff Wolenhaupt reports the county jail is currently housing 110 inmates, including 16 inmates for the US Marshall's Service. He says two additional federal inmates are expected. Emergency Services and Disaster Agency Coordinator Donnie Brooks says they received several compliments for residents on last month's Halloween Patrols. Wolenhaupt adds that the patrols are a big help to the Sheriff's Department. |
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