GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. -- The new Guilford County Detention Center opened two years ago. The facility, that cost taxpayers $100 million, is currently staffed to handle 848 inmates, which includes 160 specialty beds. Those beds aren't meant for general population inmates and include 40 medical beds.
As of Wednesday evening, the inmate population at the detention center was 667. This past Saturday, the number jumped up to 748 inmates. In 2012, the average inmate population was closer to 500. The High Point Jail was over capacity by one Wednesday night at 275. Major Chuck Williamson with the Guilford County Sheriff's Department said the average inmate population continues to grow every day.
Sheriff B.J. Barnes said the county has the space and resources to handle all prisoners right now. He said the county plans for a 6 percent increase in total inmates every year. With that growth, he said the new Guilford County Detention Center will reach its capacity by 2020.
"So we're trying to keep as many people out of jail as we possibly can," Sheriff Barnes said. "Not only is it good for the county dollar wise, but it's also good for the folks not to have to go to jail, but we want to have space for the ones who do need to be there."
County leaders are starting to discuss ways to lower jail populations in the future in its Jail Advisory Committee. Some ideas include:
- improving communication about court dates so people don't miss their appearances and end up back in jail
- new drug rehab programs and crime prevention programs
- releasing inmates who didn't pay child support and putting them on ankle monitors.
Guilford County Attorney Mark Payne said releasing those who face charges of not paying child support is just being explored right now, but he said it's worth considering.
"Well, you could have it set up where you're monitoring them, you're making sure they're going to work, not going to other places and you can still have the impact of getting the child support paid, you're still sending a message," Payne said.
"If they can get out and if we can use the monitoring system, then again I have no problem with that. It will save some money and it will also enable them to pay their bills and do the things they should be doing," said Guilford County Sheriff B.J. Barnes.
Barnes said the county would have to consider how many staff members it would take to run the ankle monitor program for those inmates to see if it will really save money. It costs about $4 a day to lease an ankle monitor, compared to $70 a day to house a person in jail.
The Guilford County Detention Center has the space to eventually house up to 1,032 inmates, but right now the sheriff's department doesn't have the staff to open those additional units. Sheriff Barnes said the county could also use the old jail if it needed to, there are 300 beds in that building.
