The Kendall County jail could be closed by the end of the year with Kendall inmates instead housed at the Kane County jail under a plan put forward by the counties’ sheriffs.
After reviewing how the state’s new cashless bail system set to start in 2023 will impact local jails, Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird said he realized it does not make financial sense to continue running the Kendall County jail.
During a joint press conference Wednesday, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain and Baird outlined their plan, which they said will save taxpayers money. They said the new state law ending cash bail for people who are arrested and awaiting trial is expected to drastically reduce the number of inmates in jails across the state.
Instead of cash bail, people are released on a signature bond.
If the proposed closure of the Kendall jail and the moving of its inmates to Kane County is approved by both counties’ boards, the change is expected to save around $1.5 million a year for Kendall County, and could provide a similar amount of revenue for Kane County based on the number of new inmates it takes in.
“These are hard decisions that are going to have to be made,” Baird said. “I have a very dedicated and professional staff that I know are probably not very happy with me right now, but if you’re not looking at how to change your operations as these new laws are passed out of Springfield, then I don’t think you are doing your job to look at the most effective way to be a good steward with taxpayer money.”
Kendall’s jail has a capacity of 203 and currently averages around 130 to 140 inmates, but only 50 to 60 of those are actually from Kendall County, Baird said. The rest are from other jurisdictions, particularly Cook County, or federal prisoners.
Baird predicts the new cashless bail system will decrease the number of inmates by 30%. Meanwhile, Kane County’s jail, which has a capacity of 640 inmates, is only about half full, and two of the jail’s cell blocks are currently not in operation.
If the plan is approved, the Kendall County inmates would also have access to a variety of programs at the Kane jail, including vocational training, job placement and addiction treatment programs that have reduced opioid overdose deaths among former inmates by 89% since 2019, according to Kane County officials.
Staffing issues are another driving factor behind the proposal, Baird said, adding that in the last month, he had two corrections officers resign after they were asked to work a large amount of overtime.
Hain said if the proposal is approved, Kendall corrections officers should be able to transfer to several other nearby counties with openings for officers. In Kane County, the budget is approved for 124 corrections officers and he currently has some openings, Hain said.
Hain and Baird said they are still negotiating how much Kendall County would pay Kane County to house its inmates, but they are looking at around $70 to $75 a day per inmate with a potential increase each year.
The arresting police departments within Kendall County would be responsible for transporting inmates to the Kane County jail and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office would be responsible for driving prisoners from the Kane jail to the courthouse in Yorkville for appearances under the plan.
Baird said he is hopeful video technology could allow for more hearings to be held without an inmate having to be transported.
Neither jail allows visitors to meet in person with an inmate, so residents would not be impacted by the proposed change, proponents said.
Hain said inmates who are in good behavior are able to video chat with family members through tablets.
A presentation on the proposal will be given to the Kendall County Board on Aug. 11. Hain said he will present the plan to the Kane County Board after its potential approval by Kendall County.
If the plan is approved, the sheriffs would like to have all inmates moved to Kane County by Dec. 1.
Kendall County Board Chairman Scott Gryder voiced support of the idea and said as unfunded mandates come down from Springfield, it’s important to think of how to govern efficiently.
“We have a lot of questions and I’m continuing to learn new things,” Gryder said. “But it makes a lot of sense and takes a lot of courage for them to do what they are doing today.”
