FLEMINGTON -- Prisoners awaiting trial in Hunterdon County will now be housed at the Somerset County jail starting next week under a two-year contract announced Wednesday by officials in both counties.
The Hunterdon County jail will not fully close under the outsourcing deal, but will only be used for new prisoner processing until transfer to the Somerset County jail about 15 miles away, officials said.
Hunterdon County will pay $90 per day per prisoner and will be responsible for all transport costs between the Somerset jail and the Hunterdon County court for hearings.
The deal, which starts Tuesday, is estimated to save Hunterdon taxpayers $1 million annually, Freeholder Director John King said during a special meeting Wednesday to approve the contract.
He said the proposal had been under consideration for some time and includes the options for a two-year renewal.
"After exhaustive review of the county's corrections operations and extensive fact finding with stakeholders, we have decided that Hunterdon County is going to be best served by contracting with neighboring Somerset County to house our inmates," King said in a statement.
The Somerset County jail is currently operating at about half its capacity of more than 400 prisoners, according to Somerset County Freeholder Director Mark Caliguire.
"This agreement is smart government and a good deal for Somerset County taxpayers as it provides our county with additional revenue," Caliguire said in a statement. "We have the capacity to absorb Hunterdon County's inmate population at minimal additional cost."
Hunterdon County's corrections department will also be reorganized as a result of the deal. The county will retain 15 corrections officers, who will later be transferred to the sheriff's office, King said.
In addition to prisoner intake, the jail will house some administrative offices, King said. But the county will not have to incur the estimated $2.7 million costs to renovate the jail in Flemington over the next five years.
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King said the contract and subsequent reorganizing made sense. The county's jail population has been in decline since 2010 and is now operating at 50 percent capacity.
"In 2010, the average daily number of inmates fell from 112 in 2010 to an average of just 72 in 2015," King said.
Daily operating costs per inmate rose from $105 in 2010 to $168 in 2015, he said.
Police chiefs and corrections officers attending the special meeting Wednesday expressed skepticism. They expressed concerns about overtime related to prisoner transport.
Readington Police Chief Sebastian Donaruma, who heads the country's police chiefs' association, said his association could support the proposal if they could be assured they wouldn't be negatively impacted.
"What's the rush?" Donaruma asked, saying the association wanted time to review the deal. "We could be 100 percent behind you. We just don't know the details."
Donaruma said the issue wasn't just one of transportation to and from the jail, but also prisoner interviews and transport to hospitals.
Delaware Township Police Chief Phillip "Chris" Cane agreed that trips back and forth to Somerville could be a hardship on the smaller departments.
Holland Township Chief John Harrison also expressed overtime concerns.
"I have six guys in my department and even I've been called out at two in the morning to transport prisoners," he said. "I can't afford overtime."
During the 30-minute meeting, King assured the officers that no local budgets or staffs would be affected. He said the final operations plan was "still under development."
PC Robinson may be reached at probinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow @njdotcom on Twitter. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.