By AP
St. Louis, MO. – The Alton jail has started housing federal prisoners in an effort to raise money.
Under the terms of the contract with the U.S. Marshals Service, the city will get $40 a day per federal prisoner.
Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan says the maximum number of federal prisoners the jail can hold under the contract is 20.
That means the city could receive $290,000 for an entire fiscal year.
The first two inmates arrived yesterday afternoon. Sullivan says he expects the jail to have the rest of the prisoners within a month.
The police chief says the jail won't have to hire any additional staff. Sullivan says the city will have to pay about four dollars a day for food.