2 weeks Ago By Zach Petroff
Fayette County’s commissioners voted in favor of entering into a contract with the U.S. Department of Justice to house federal prisoners at the county jail.
Commissioner Scott Dunn said the jail will be used to house prisoners who are awaiting trial. According to the proposed contract, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will also be authorized to bring detainees to the jail, though Dunn said the intention of the agreement is not to use the county jail as a holding facility for ICE detainees. “This really doesn’t have anything to do with ICE or ICE detainees, but to be clear, (the county) is going to cooperate with whoever we need to cooperate with from a federal standpoint,” Dunn said on Tuesday. The contract, which the commissioners unanimously approved on Thursdays, allows for the county to take in 15 men and 15 women who are in federal custody.
According to the contract, the DOJ will pay the county $96 per day for each federal inmate housed at the jail, and the county will provide two corrections officers to transport prisoners at a rate of $45 per hour. Locally housed inmates could be taken to medical appointments, hospitals, between jails or to a federal courthouse, the nearest of which is in Pittsburgh. The jail has a capacity to house just over 300 inmates, and currently has between 200 and 220, Dunn said.
Commissioner Dave Lohr called the agreement “a win-win.” “It’s not only going to help us on the budget, it’s also going to be something that will help the federal (government),” he said. Dunn said discussions about housing federal inmates started before the county’s new jail opened in March 2024.
He also indicated that county officials will have discretion as to which federal prisoners they will accept. “We’re going to be able to see what they are being held for and evaluate if they are deemed too high of security risk for us,” Dunn said. Under the terms of the proposed agreement, which must also be approved by the county prison board, the county will bear the cost of any medical treatment provided to federal prisoners while they are inside the jail.
The federal government will pay for medical care outside of the jail and for any specialized medical services. While staffing at the jail was once a concern, Dunn and Lohr said they have a full complement of guards, thanks in part to a $4-per-hour wage increase that took effect in January. Dunn estimated the county hired 34 guards between January and March.
Chase Rutherford, president of the United Mine Workers of American Local 91, said the union is taking a wait-and-see approach and will have discussions with jail and county officials if adjustments are necessary. “It’s hard to decide what you need until after you start,” he said. The agreement will be voted on at the next prison board meeting on Wednesday, April 30, and both Lohr and Dunn expressed confidence it will be approved.
“Since we’ve moved into the new jail their staff have been such a really positive force,” Lohr said..
