The Howard County Jail housed up to eight inmates from Boone County last week. Sheriff Jeff Oswald said his population of local inmates was low and Boone County needed additional housing.

Charges for the inmates were mostly low-level drug crimes.

The county hail has been housing inmates from other counties as a way to generate extra revenue here while alleviating congestion in other jails. For example, Linn County no longer has its own jail, and enlists help from Howard County to house all of its female inmates.

Occasionally, Howard and Randolph counties will house each other's inmates when conflicts arise, since they are in the same circuit. 

The Howard County jail was built in 2023 after voters here overwhelmingly passed a half-cent sales tax to fund the new facility, which also houses the sheriff’s department. It has 24 dedicated beds, along with two holding cells and a detox cell. Sheriff Oswald said for a short time earlier this year, he housed up to 32 inmates.

The charge to house an inmate from an outside county is $45 a day. Transportation, for such occasions as court appearances, is handled by their own counties. Although many court appearances are now held virtually via web conferencing software Webex.

Even some Howard County inmates use Webex, rather than be transported from the jail to the courthouse.

“It’s much safer. Especially for us with a detached jail,” Oswald explained. “It’s more of a liability when you transport them.”

Sheriff Oswald said the jail is fully staffed and able to handle a full inmate population.

So far this fiscal year, the arrangement has already brought in around $40,000 by housing Linn County’s inmates. Since the end of 2023 through last week, $51,321 has been generated overall.

Sheriff Oswald said the extra revenue goes to improve the sheriff’s department’s fleet and other equipment upgrades.

The jail has received some much-needed maintenance over the past year—thanks to COVID-19 funds received by the county—including a new roof and generator, a new cement wall and railing in front, and structural repairs.