Pinal supervisors forced to cut jail funds by $5 million
By Sean Holstege, The Republic | azcentral.com
Chiara Tamburini/Flickr
Pinal County supervisors voted to cut the sheriff’s jail funding by $5 million Wednesday, doubling the recommended trim while leaving a $6.2 million shortfall in the wake of a canceled federal contract.
To date, 52 jail positions have been eliminated, and dozens more are in jeopardy following the vote.
The Board of Supervisors split on a 3-2 vote, with some county leaders calling for deeper cuts to address a projected deficit that was created when a detention contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expired late last month and a new deal could not be reached.