EKB News

WEST VIRGINIA...

At its quarterly meeting Wednesday, the Regional Jail Authority discussed overcrowding in the state's regional jails and prisons, saying it's gotten to the critical point, with inmates have slept on mattresses on the floors of some facilities. Currently, there are about 1,600 of the Department of Corrections 6,639 inmates being held in regional jails around the state, and one temporary solution has been the installation of additional bunks at the 10 regional jails. Other recommendations include accelerated parole for eligible inmates and efforts to enhance support to work release facilities and day report centers. Joe Thornton, secretary of military affairs and public safety, says adding on to any prisons or jails is "not on the table" at this point because of the state of the economy, and building another prison facility or jail was all but out of the question, citing a $200 million price tag.