The Freeborn County sheriff said last year’s agreement between Freeborn County and the  Minnesota Department of Corrections for the county to house low-level DOC inmates is going well.

Kurt Freitag said the agreement implemented in June has created more than $300,000 in revenue for the county. The DOC compensates the county $55 per inmate per day.

“It’s just working out really well,” Freitag said.

The agreement was meant to help alleviate crowding in the state’s prison system.

He said there are approximately 20 DOC inmates housed at the jail each day, noting the number of inmates at the jail fluctuates almost daily, sometimes into the 120s and other times falling below 100.

He said there were 112 inmates Wednesday morning. Fifty-two were Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainees; 17 were DOC inmates and 43 were local population inmates.

Freitag said he pursued the agreement because he realized the county was losing money because it was housing fewer ICE inmates, and he understood the county had enough administration to handle more inmates.

The Freeborn County jail is licensed to house about 148 inmates, but its operating capacity is approximately 133. Freitag said one of the reasons the county pursued the ICE and DOC agreements was to utilize some of the jail space.

He praised jail staff for how they do their jobs.

“They are very professional and do a great job providing a safe environment for all of the prisoners and detainees in our facility,” Freitag said. “It’s not easy to juggle the different medical needs, religions, race and threat levels of the inmates. I’m proud of the work they do, and I have a high level of trust in all of them.”

Freeborn County has reportedly gathered $12.7 million from housing ICE inmates since 2009.