This month, the Rowan County Jailer reported that about eighty state inmates are being held in the county. That’s less than 2/3 of the typical inmate population this time of year. Officials said they’re unsure why this number keeps falling, but the decrease does not necessarily mean crime has slowed down or that fewer people are being prosecuted. County officials suggested it could be due to lighter sentencing, fewer convictions, more people being placed in separate rehabilitation programs, or other factors entirely.
Wes Coldiron, Rowan County Jailer, said he’s unsure why they've experienced this drop, but it puts a strain on their budget either way.
"You've got to think about it the same, pretty much the same as a household. You've got to be fed, you've got to have medicine, you've got to do laundry, you're fed three times a day. It adds up and it costs a lot of money,” said Coldiron. “Plus, us having, you know, a brand new jail- it's six years old now, but it’s a new jail, which costs the county a lot of money. We have a lot of bills to pay."
Coldiron explained state inmates being held in Rowan County help the prison stay eligible for many types of programs and funds, which keep the budget healthy. When that prison population decreases too much, it puts a strain on the budget and inhibits the county’s ability to offer those services.
Coldiron said second-chance programs and other opportunities are vital because they help break stigmas that prisoners often experience.
“Most of the inmates that I have are your everyday neighbors that, as long as they’re out of orange they look normal. Put them in an orange outfit, and people want to judge them. Or take one to the doctor or the hospital, and they think everybody’s in there for murder or this or that. You know, most of them are just minor misdemeanor crimes,” said Coldiron.
Though Rowan County holds both state and county prisoners, only state prisoners are eligible for the second-chance program.
Coldiron added this decrease isn’t just happening in Rowan County. The state inmate population has fallen across the Commonwealth over the last three years.