The Schuylkill County commissioners finalized another inmate housing agreement Wednesday, and it will not be the last.
The commissioners approved a contract to house Schuylkill County Prison inmates at the Columbia County Prison in Bloomsburg. It will cost $60 a day per inmate. The agreement is renewable in yearly increments.
Commissioners Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr., who also serves as prison board chairman, said the Columbia County Prison can currently house up to 20 inmates.
Meanwhile, Halcovage said the county is finalizing a similar housing agreement with Berks County for the same rate of $60 a day per inmate. He said the Berks County Prison may be able to house up to 50 inmates.
Last week, the commissioners approved an agreement to house inmates at the Centre County Correctional Facility, Bellefonte. The rate is $65 a day per inmate and 10 women are already being housed there.
On May 4, the state Department of Corrections ordered that the Schuylkill County prison can no longer take any additional prisoners sentenced between six months to five years until its average monthly inmate population is at or below its approved capacity of 277. The average inmate population for April was 282.
The DOC will review its order in three months.
Criminals serving maximum sentences of two years or more can be sent to state prison. The county prison can still house criminals awaiting trial and parole violators can be reincarcerated at other facilities.
Schuylkill County has been sending male inmates to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, Thornton, and female inmates to the State Correctional Institution/Muncy since March.
As of last week, 22 men are being housed at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility while none remain at Muncy. The county also pays $65 a day per inmate as part of those agreements.
Halcovage said the board is still “looking at several options.” That includes a prerelease center, which was previously proposed but scrapped in 2011 when bids averaged about $4.2 million, or $1 million more than budgeted.
The county courthouse will be closed Monday for Memorial Day.