Clermont County’s jail population is back up, this after a decline during the holiday season.
The ebb and flow follows what has become an annual trend, according to Sheriff Robert Leahy.
The jail’s inmate capacity is 370.
The average count in December was 355, but as of the morning count on Jan. 7, the jail’s population was back up to 411, “which is way over capacity,” Leahy said, adding, “Right after the holidays, we started seeing the uptick again.”
Leahy explained that the department usually expects that right around November, and up around through Christmas, the jail will see a reduction in population.
“If I could really put my finger on it, that would be great so that we could duplicate it the rest of the year, but some of it really has to do about with the holidays,” Leahy said. “Those are the months that we just kind of look forward to and say we should decrease some, but by how much, we just don’t know.”
Overcrowding at the jail is not good, as high population numbers put a strain on resources.
“For us, when we’re overpopulated, my very first concern is for the safety of the employees and the safety of inmates, because with increased numbers, you’re maybe having to put additional people in areas that you wouldn’t normally have them,” Leahy explained.
He added that overcrowding also puts a strain on financial resources, because when officials draft their annual budget, which includes medical care and food services, they use historical average population numbers, but when reality hits with overcrowding, adjustments have to be made that can lead to added costs, including overtime staffing.
“Once you get past the safety issues, there is a financial cost to the county and the taxpayers,” Leahy said. “The more there, the more it costs.”
The average cost to house an inmate is about $72 a day.
The high population numbers can be attributed to drug related issues, according Leahy, and the county’s overall population growth.
“The county’s over 200,000 people now,” he said. “So, with increased people in a community, you’re going to see, probably, an increase in your jail population.”
As sheriff, Leahy receives two texts each day – one at 7 a.m. and one after 7 p.m. – letting him know the jail’s population.
He said that his biggest challenge in being the sheriff is the jail population.
“It’s what keeps me awake at night,” Leahy explained. “I’m the keeper of the jail. It’s my responsibility, and sometimes I have to reach out to judges and elected officials to see if we can get people’s cases reviewed, so it’s something that’s constantly moving.”
He added, “There’s times that I’ll wake up at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., and I’ll call booking and ask them what the count is. It’s like the old Elvis song … it’s always on my mind.”