DeWitt Co. inmates transferred back from Piatt Co.

CLINTON, Ill. (WAND) - DeWitt County inmates have returned from staying in Piatt County.

The jail located in Clinton is 25 years old and after an approximate $200,000 upgrade, Sheriff Mike Walker said the county board came to the conclusion of having the inmates come back.

"It wouldn't be fair to the taxpayers to spend that kind of money and continue to send DeWitt County inmates to Piatt County," Walker said. 

Walker was the chief deputy at the time when inmates had to move. The sheriff said employees were leaving in 2016. Correctional officers transferred into the private sector, working as police officers. 

Plus, the future of Clinton's power plant was in limbo. Sheriff Walker said the county would have had to go over its budget if the plant went away. That could have meant possible layoffs. 

"[We] may not been able to have the personnel we needed to run the jail," Walker said. "So we would have to contract our inmates somewhere else. "

That isn't the case anymore. The power plant is still in Clinton. The sheriff said there is a 10-year deal between the power plant and the county. So far, there's eight years left in the deal. 

Sheriff Walker said the jail houses 15 to 20 inmates a day. Keeping track of them when they're back in DeWitt County is easier, Walker said. 

"When we were in Piatt County we were having to keep track of the court schedule more closely," Walker added. 

However, during his time as Chief Deputy, Walker said having inmates in another county appeared to help the jail save money. He said taxpayers still wanted inmates in DeWitt County because they didn't like their tax dollars going through Piatt County.