No county prisoners for the first time in two years

This month marked a rareity for the Perkins County Sheriff’s office. 

For the first time in two years, Perkins County Sheriff Jim Brueggeman said the county had no one in jail.

Since Perkins County no longer maintains its own jail, people taken into custody are jailed in either Keith County or Lincoln County. 

Brueggeman said those jails charge the county $50 per day, per inmate. 

That can add up over time. For the 2020-21 fiscal year, which ends on June 30, Brueggeman said less than $500 of the $59,834 annual jail budget remains. 

Other county funds will have to be transferred into the jail budget if the remainder of that money is exhausted prior to June 30.

He explained they budgeted $49,862 for boarding of prisoners and another $9,972 for medical expenses that may be incurred during incarceration. 

Brueggeman said the boarding budget has been exceeded by more than $8,400 this fiscal year. 

Fortunately, very little medical costs were incurred, enabling him to use that money for boarding. 

Two of the longest prisoners held were Hendrick Schwim and Winfield Copley III. 

Schwim was taken into custody in August 2019 on two felony charges of sexual assault on a child. 

Copley was taken into custoday in August 2020 for felony driving under the influence, felony theft and a misdemeanor traffic charge. 

In March, both men were sentenced. 

Schwim accepted a plea agreement, entering a plea of no contest to felony sexual assault of a child in the third degree. 

A second degree assault charge was dismissed. 

Schwim was sentenced to three years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections. 

He is a citizen of South Africa and holds a green card. He agreed to forfeit lawful U.S. resident status, will be deported upon his release and no longer be eligible for U.S. citizenship or return to the U.S. in his lifetime. 

Copley was sentenced to no less than four years and no more than 6 years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections for his eighth DUI offense. 

He was given credit for time served. 

Brueggeman said they did have some arrests this last week but the offenders posted bail and were released.