KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knox County Sheriff’s Office lost around $128,000 between January and May in its contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to KCSO records.
KCSO has an agreement that allows them to house ICE inmates as part of the 287(g) program. While ICE reimburses them for this, it is not enough to cover the cost of housing the inmates, according to information received from KCSO.
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KCSO originally billed ICE for $83 per inmate per day, but this was raised to $114 in February. However, according to a KCSO spokesperson, housing these inmates costs an average of $140 per day. This means that they lose around $26 per day per inmate.
“The current cost assessment is at $140 per day and with the new Marshals/ICE Contract we are reimbursed $114 per day,” a KCSO spokesperson said Monday. “Additionally, we get zero reimbursement for inmates we, KPD, THP, or UTPD arrest. That burden is on the taxpayers.”…