COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Over a week after Branch County Sheriff John Pollack declared a jail overcrowding state of emergency, the Branch County Jail was over capacity by eight prisoners as of midnight Thursday night.
A total of 11 prisoners were booked on Thursday and brought the number of inmates up to 150. The jail has a rated designed capacity of 142 prisoners.
Pollack declared the overcrowding emergency September 14 after the jail population exceeded its capacity for over seven straight days.
The jail exceeded capacity from September 4-12, 2016.
If the problem continues for more than a couple of weeks, Branch County judges could order a release of inmates to reduce the jail population by 20 percent through the reduction of sentences or by having bonds lowered.
