WALLACE — Shoshone County commissioners amended their budget last week to track spending for staffing the county jail.

Sheriff Holly Lindsey came before the board last month seeking permission to use funds from the jail salary budget to cover hours being worked by patrol deputies.  

The jail is designed to house 48 inmates and staff 12 jailors, including the jail captain. Currently, the jail is over the 48-inmate limit but only has four deputies staffing the jail.  

Lindsey said the jail budget had $47,000 left in unspent wages since October. She requested that commissioners allow her to use $12,000 to fund overtime hours.

Last week, the commissioners, at the request of Clerk Lori Osterberg, added a new line item to the budget, denoted as "jail fill-in," to track how much money was being spent.  

Commissioner Jeff Zimmerman said the line item will help the clerk keep track of the money going out and will also be beneficial to the county during its annual audit.  

According to Osterberg, the county maintains overtime budgets for the jail and patrol and was worried about depleting them as well as avoiding the challenge of having to track where the overtime money was being spent.  

“In order to keep track of that $12,000, we’re going to add another line item right below jail salaries,” Zimmerman said.  

Lindsey’s plan to utilize patrol deputies in the jail is on a month-to-month basis while the jail seeks and trains staff to run the facility.  

Lindsey said her focus is making sure there is ample staff during the jail’s high liability times, including overnights, dinner time, transport, medical holds and high sickness.  

If after 30 days the county determines that Lindsey’s plan is costing too much, they’ll reassess. 

“My intent is to not eat that budget up by overuse whatsoever,” Lindsey said previously.