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Inmate Transfer Costs

Female inmates and overflow inmates are sent to other counties, which costs taxpayers money each day. This also creates a potential risk for the County since we have less control over their care. Below are the average costs of transferring inmates:

 

  • ​Average cost of fuel for transfers per year: $2,574

    • ​Average round trip to transfer inmates: 180 miles

  • Average staff cost to transfer inmates per year: $13,749

  • Average cost to house 20 inmates (at approx. $100/day) per year: $730,000

  • Average cost for vehicle depreciation per year: $1,498

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Projected cost per year to transfer 20 inmates: $747,821.40*​

*This cost is calculated in today's dollars based on 20 inmates. It does not account for inflation or additional inmates in the future. Please reference the 20-Year Inmate Transfer Projections below for more detail.

Walsh County Inmate Transfers

Walsh County is facing increased challenges with other counties accepting our inmates. The Cavalier and Traill County Jails have recently closed, and others have their own capacity and classification issues.

 

Walsh County mostly transfers inmates to:

  • Lake Region (180 miles / 3 hours round trip) (often at full capacity)

  • Rolette (256 miles / 4 hours and 15 minutes round trip)

  • Bottineau (328 miles / 5 hours and 25 minutes round trip)

  • Grand Forks County (86 miles / 1 hour and 30 minutes round trip) (often at full capacity)

    • They will only house inmates for Walsh County if they already have charges with them. The inmate must first serve their time for those charges. After that, they will only continue to house them for us if they are female.

  • Cass County (222 miles / 3 hours and 30 minutes round trip) (often at full capacity)​​​​

Impact of Transferring Inmates

  • In addition to cost, staff and resources are utilized for transferring inmates which reduces their time spent patrolling and protecting.

  • ​We are facing increased challenges with other counties accepting our inmates due to their own capacity and classification requirements.​

  • When inmates are transferred to another county, Walsh County is still responsible for them. They must be transported back to Walsh County for court dates. They can get medical care in the other county, but it comes with extra costs for both transportation and medical bills.

  • Potential liability to the County as we lose control over the care of our transferred inmates.

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