Currently, the San Patricio County jail houses 239 inmates, of which 30% require medical attention. The prison is reallocating funds within the Sheriff’s Office Department to support inmate healthcare costs. “We must ensure their physical well-being, which requires funds,” Rivera commented.
Funds are allocated for inmate medical services, including hospital care, ambulance transportation, and prescription medications, among other expenses. “Two of our inmates have severe health problems. Their monthly medical bills amount to roughly $23,485,” commented Rivera.
Rivera noted that the jail will likely exceed its budget due to the ongoing care required for these two inmates.
“Regrettably, the jail is the county’s most expensive budget item,” stated Rivera. The jail’s yearly budget exceeds $5 million, with $350,000 allocated for medical services.
“We easily exhaust the $350,000 in the initial 4 to 5 months,” Rivera added. The Sheriff’s Office is making certain compromises to manage these inmate care costs.
“We reallocate funds from our substantial budget to bridge the financial gap,” Rivera explained. Such budgetary adjustments place financial pressure on the sheriff’s office, impacting taxpayers as well.
“It’s costly for taxpayers, and one might question the reasons,” Rivera remarked.
Due to increasing grocery store prices, Rivera anticipates exceeding the budget for food. This is an expense the Sheriff’s Department will need to address. As for potential solutions, Rivera mentioned that they can only hope for inmates to be released on bail or transferred to state prison, where the state will cover their expenses.