Edmonson, Butler and Ohio counties come together to study building regional jail

BROWNSVILLE, Ky. – Edmonson, Butler and Ohio Counties have begun a feasibility study to see if it would be a possibility for the combined counties to open up a jail together.

Right now, Edmonson County has no jail at all, and Ohio and Butler County’s jails are small, according to Edmonson County Judge Executive Wil Cannon.

Individually, Cannon estimated it could cost more than $20 million for a new facility with minimal space, a price that is completely unattainable for the Edmonson County on its own.

Right now, Edmonson County has a contract with Hart County Jail that costs $45 per inmate housed per day, not including medical or transportation costs, and the contract ends in a few years.

There are even times where an outside jail has refused to take an inmate, which can cause a problem for Edmonson County.

“With elected officials, every four years you may change. So we have to do things now with a plan of five, 10, 20 years in the future and if we don’t do that now, it’s not going to happen then. So I may be here another year and a half but someone will be here behind me that will be able to take this up and continue on with it,” said Cannon.

This is only a feasibility study at this point, but Cannon hopes to see a jail built in the next five to six years.