West Virginia is incarcerating more people than its regional jail system is meant to hold, and it is costing some county governments more money than they can pay.
At least 10 counties in West Virginia are more than 90 days past due on a combined $9 million in jail bills, according to the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security. That agency covers the balance with taxpayer money when payments come up short.
From 2000 to 2019, West Virginiaâs jail population increased by 81% according to a report by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. That follows a longer national trend, Quenton King, criminal justice policy analyst for the center, wrote in the report.