Boone County commission to consider budget increase for out-of-county detainee costs

STURGEON, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Commission is set to meet Thursday afternoon to consider a budget amendment to increase funding to cover the cost of out-of-county detainee housing.

Several Boone County Jail detainees over the years have had to be sent to other county jails due to limited space, costing the county money. So far in 2026, the cost of sending detainees from Boone County Jail to other counties is $3.3 million, according to a press release.

The projected cost for all of 2026 is $4.5 million.

In Thursday's meeting, the Boone County Commission will consider increasing funding for the remainder of the year. The meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. in Sturgeon City Hall.

Boone County has consistently moved more detainees to out-of-county jails than to the Boone County Jail and that number has increased dramatically in recent years.

The cost to send detainees out of county in 2022 was $499,000. That number jumped to over $2.56 million in 2025, including a $1.6 million jump from 2024 to 2025.

The cost to house a single inmate in another county jail is $50-$60 a day.

To listen to the meeting, anyone interested can dial 425-585-6224 and use the access code 802-162-168.