State Finally Pays Counties Jail Debt

(Farmington) The State of Missouri has finally eliminated the debt it owed counties for housing inmates who end up going to a state prison.

This year, the Missouri Legislature passed a state budget that eliminates that accumulated debt.

At the end of state budget year 2019, Missouri owed counties about 35-million-dollars in jail reimbursements.

Kevin Merritt is the executive director of the Missouri Sheriffs Association.

He says eliminating that debt benefits local counties tremendously.

Merritt says Missouri had been behind in county reimbursements since at least 2006.

This will also help many of our local counties who were owed thousands of dollars for keeping state prisoners in the local jails.