While critics of county's jail complain of cost, records show it has lowered expenses
By Roger Sims, Journal staff
MOUND CITY – The Linn County jail has been a subject of controversy since before construction began in 2020. The issue continues to be raised every time a public forum is held on county taxes. However since the jail hit its stride in bringing the inmate population up, it has paid its way, according to figures recently released by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Critics initially were concerned that a jail that can house up to 90 prisoners would be a waste of money when the former jail had about a dozen cells. Another concern was that the jail would be a drain on the county’s general fund budget.
The bond on the jail is paid through a 1% sales tax that is paid by retail sales across the county. Funds from the county’s general fund go toward the operations of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and it is that office that operates the county jail.
However, for the Linn County Commission as well as a core group of taxpayers, there seems to be a disconnect between the revenue the jail brings in and the budget of the sheriff’s office.
The figures recently released covered 2023 through 2025 as well as year-to-date figures for 2026.
Those figures indicated that the cost to operate the jail for 2026 is expected to cost the county nearly $1.338 million. That includes just over $973,000 for personnel expenses – including $50,000 for overtime and $25,000 for part-time workers – nearly $57,000 for utilities, $169,400 for inmate meals, $25,000 for inmate supplies, $108,000 contractual services, and $6,500 for janitorial services.
Through August 2026, the jail has received income of nearly $808,773. Housing prisoners from Wyandotte County has generated more than $292,700 income, the U.S. Marshals Service has paid the county more than $489,300 for its inmates, Linn County cities have housed prisoners there for just over $2,700, and the Kansas Department of Corrections has paid less than $700. Income from miscellaneous sources is listed at nearly $23,300 for the eight-month period.
For 2026, the jail income has averaged $101,100 monthly, with April being the lowest month at $73,800 and August being the highest income month at nearly $135,000. If the final four months of the year keep the same average, the total income for the jail would be $1.213 million for the year. That would mean that jail income minus expenses leaves a deficit of about $126,000 for 2026.
Undersheriff Bobby Johnson argued that even with that deficit, the jail costs the county less than the old jail.
Before the Justice Center was completed in 2022, the former county jail next to the courthouse could not house all of the prisoners taken into custody locally. So many times several Linn County prisoners were “farmed out” to area jails. Some years the bill to house prisoners out of county amounted as much as $500,000 or even more, and that usually required a budget adjustment at the end of the year.
Undersheriff Bobby Johnson said that, although he was in his current position then, he remembers that when the old jail was still being used 99the sheriff’s office would regularly be shipping prisoners out to Anderson and Wilson counties because there wasn’t enough room.
The first full year after work on the jail was completed, the sheriff’s office reported income of $1.09 million, with Wyandotte County contributing nearly $486,000 and the U.S. Marshals Service paying more than $535,000.
Income was up in 2024, according to the report. Taking in prisoners brought in more than $1.43 million, with the marshals service paying almost $835,000.
According to Sheriff James Akes, crime across the country was down in 2025, and that resulted in a dip in income to `$1.15 million. The marshals service paid the most again last year at more than $835,000 while Wyandotte County’s prisoners brought in slightly less that a quarter of a million dollars.
There are two issues that cloud the understanding of the impact of the jail on the sheriff’s budget.
First, almost all of the utilities and building expenses of the Justice Center fall under the sheriff’s budget, so it is difficult to determine, for example, the cost of electricity used by the jail versus the offices in the Justice Center, which include 6th District Court, county attorney employees, probation officers, and other departments.
Second, while the sheriff’s office has fairly consistently reported on the money the jail brings in from contracting cell space to federal marshals and Wyandotte County, the extra money goes to the County Treasurer’s office. At the same time, money for the sheriff’s office budget comes from the County Clerk’s office. And while the sheriff’s office has regularly reported on the amount of money it takes in from housing federal and Wyandotte County prisoners, expenses and income are seldom compared.
The report points out that the jail uses an inmate work program. He estimates that program saves the county more than $160,000 and another $30,000 in equipment costs. The jail also uses an inmate commissary program which allows the jail to pay for items to be used in the jail for inmates, and the report says that program saves more the $100,000 annually.
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