Part of Jail May Close Over Shortage of Inmates
Dozens of Lerdo Jail employees could lose their jobs because of a shortage of federal prisoners that may force the closure of a section of the jail.
The Kern County sheriff is preparing to close the jail’s 374-bed medium- and maximum-security section next month.
The unit has collected millions of dollars for housing inmates for the U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration and Naturalization Service since 1990.
The jail has 260 federal inmates, fewer than half of what it anticipated. Federal officials won’t say why they are sending fewer inmates there, but they have told the jail not to expect more prisoners.
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