A shrinking inmate population has led county officials to close two buildings at the Cook County Jail, Sheriff Tom Dart said at a press conference today.
The move, an effort to shave $15 million from the county's spending, will cut the jail's capacity by 900 inmates, from 10,000 to 9,100 by next month. It also means the jail will no longer house the nation's largest inmate population.
"When every government agency is looking for ways to cut costs and save taxpayer dollars, it makes no sense to keep half-empty buildings operating at full capacity," Dart said. The closings "lay a foundation to take even more steps to save even more taxpayer money down the road."
Officials have already closed a 600-bed facility, and they plan to close a 300-bed building next month.
The number of inmates at the jail has steadily waned over the last few years. In 2004, nearly 106,000 people were processed at the jail. Last year, that number had dropped to 86,000.
Officials say that closing the two buildings will cut about $2 million in overtime costs and shift 175 corrections officers to other posts, saving $10.5 million in salaries.
Windy Citizen 