More inmates being housed at the county jail means more money is needed to board, clothe and feed them. 
Sheriff Jackie Matheny is asking the county’s Safety Committee for more money to provide food and clothing to the more than 300 convicts the jail averages each day.
Matheny says it costs between $3.50 and $4 to feed an inmate daily. Each inmate receives two hot meals and a sandwich for lunch.
Questions arose concerning the amount of money set aside for medical use. Matheny did not ask for an increase in medical funding from last year. Commissioner Les Trotman said, “We need to put more money in there. My concern is if we don’t put enough in there then we will be in bad shape. We don’t want to get to the point that we are in the same state we are in now.”
Matheny said he cannot predict if they will have a good year medically or a bad year. He said the last two years have been bad due to inmates having major medical problems, including broken hips and heart attacks. One inmate had to be airlifted which cost around $15,000.
The jail presently has a pregnant female inmate. Matheny says, “We have to take her to the hospital when she has her child. Her judge is not local. He will not release her.”
Commissioners approved the budget and will send it on the full Warren County Commission without adding more money to medical expenses.
Matheny thanked the committee for allowing them to purchase new Tauruses for the deputies and a new jeep. “I appreciate it. They are a blessing,” he said. He went on to say, however, “Our SROs are driving absolute junk. We need new vehicles.”
The sheriff’s department has six vehicles with over 200,000 miles on them.
Matheny presented his proposed budget to the Safety Committee on Tuesday. Present at the meeting were County Executive John Pelham, Commissioners Sally Brock, Charles Morgan, Les Trotman, Melissa Yancy, and Sheriff Matheny.