HASTING (WKZO AM/FM) — Sixteen inmates at the Barry County Jail are going to get to spend the holidays at home due to overcrowding issues.
Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf issued a state of emergency after a week in which the jail was consistently over its 98-bed maximum occupancy. The population has climbed to as high as 108 inmates.
The emergency declaration calls on the Barry County prosecutor, local judges, and the Barry County Board of Commissioners to find a way to keep the jail population down.
The inmates that have been released were all non-violent offenders who had served most of their sentences.
