The Spalding County Board of Commissioners last week approved a contract with the state for the housing of state prisoners at the Spalding County Correctional Institute.

At full capacity, the SCCI receives $2.8 million annually from the state for housing state inmates.

The contract between Spalding County and the Georgia Department of Corrections calls for the county to receive $20 per day, per inmate. The county has agreed to provide complete care for up to 384 state inmates daily.

The estimated expense for the SCCI in the 2012 budget is $6,496,532. Some of this is covered in court fines and fees.

The complete care includes medical expenses up to $1,000 for emergency medical conditions posing an immediate threat to life or limb if the inmate cannot be placed in a state institution for receipt of the care. According to the contract, the Department of Corrections will only be liable for amounts in excess of $1,000.

The county is also only reimbursed at the state Medicaid rate for emergency services provided to an inmate by a hospital that is not a party to the contract. The Department of Corrections also will not pay late fees assessed by the hospital and can tag on an administrative cost of half the difference of the amount for reimbursement if it determines there’s a difference between the actual cost incurred and the invoiced amount.

The contract gives the Department of Corrections 45 days to pay the invoice and also prevents the use of inmate labor for private individuals or corporations.