Louisiana House agrees to pay sheriffs more to house inmates

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana House has unanimously agreed to boost the amount the state pays parish sheriffs for housing state inmates in local jails, an increase that would eventually cost $30 million per year.

The proposal from Rep. Katrina Jackson, a Monroe Democrat, would gradually increase the amount Louisiana pays sheriffs for each inmate from $24.39 to $29.39 per day. The rate would grow over a three-year period.

The House voted 99-0 for the measure Wednesday, sending it to the Senate for debate. But senators would have to come up with $6.5 million in next year's budget if they agree to the proposal.

By the 2021-22 financial year, the increase is expected to cost the state more than $30 million to house thousands of state inmates in parish jails.