Osage County planning to reopen jail Monday

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Osage County Sheriff's Office plans to reopen the county jail on Monday.

County Sheriff Mike Bonham said Wednesday that he needed to close the jail and move inmates to other facilities in May due to a lack of staffing. He said the county has made new hires and now has seven workers for the jail.

"After recent upgrades and operational improvements, the facility will begin transitioning inmates back into the jail," Bonham wrote in a text message to ABC 17 News. "We will begin accepting new detainees on Monday, July 28."

The sheriff's office shared pictures Wednesday morning of its new hires training for the reopening of the jail.

Osage County Commission meeting minutes show the jail closed on June 2 while the county staffed up and trained new hires. Bonham said Osage County has housed inmates and admitted new ones in several nearby facilities, including jails in Miller, Maries, Franklin and Crawford counties. The county pays each place $50 to $65 a day for each inmate it houses.

"We appreciate the continued support and cooperation from surrounding law enforcement agencies, the courts, and the public during the temporary closure," Bonham said. "This reopening marks a significant step forward in restoring full correctional services to Osage County.”