Illegal Immigrants In The County Jail Are Saving Jobs In Yakima

Heather Walker Story Published: Jan 7, 2011 at 6:38 PM PST

YAKIMA -- KIMA is keeping an eye on the way your money is spent at the county jail. Recently the jail lost a contract for rented beds and had to lay off dozens. Now we have learned a second round of cuts could be on the way. The key to saving jobs could hinge on illegal immigrants and other out of towners being held in our jail.

Multimedia Watch The Video It is a necessary evil. One of the largest buildings occupying our downtown is the jail. Its size equal perhaps to its value in keeping our city safe from criminals. But to stay open, they need to stay full.
According to the jail having these beds open is actually costing you money. More specifically, it could cost you the taxpayer money if more open up and stay open.

"If we don't have that rental income we as citizens of Yakima county have to pay more," said Forrest Smith in charge of at the jail.

Managers here say a lot of people have a misconception of what inmates bring to the city. Their anger over allowing illegal immigrants to be held here may be blind to the fact that those inmates, shipped here from other jurisdictions, are pumping hundreds of thousands into the local budget. In fact, the more out of town criminals, immigrant or otherwise, the better.

Just last year the Federal government paid more than 3-million dollars to the county jail for these inmates. 3-hundred thousand of that was to hold illegals.

Right now there are 38 illegals in the Yakima County jail. All beds that are paid for by the federal government. There are dozens more being held on state and federal charges who are not from here. They too are pay the jails bills. Keeping these beds rented means the jail keeps the jobs that still exist here. Losing them means a possible second round of cuts, and more locals hitting the unemployment line.

The Yakima County Corrections Facility at the fair ground is already being shut down. Jail officials could know as soon as January 14 if even more cuts are necessary.

http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/113116049.html