MIDLAND, MI -- The Midland County Jail houses out-of-county inmates to generate millions of dollars, offsetting the cost to run the facility and to repay bonds used to build the jail in 2009.

But security concerns at the facility have kinked that flow of money after Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson determined there aren't enough corrections officers overseeing the inmates.

"As a sheriff, it's my job to run a safe jail. Not to generate revenue," he said.

Two fights in a common room filled with dozens of inmates at the jail are some of the latest examples of safety concerns related to the staffing issue, Stephenson said.

The county also faces a federal lawsuit stemming from an inmate who died after he was restrained by jail officers, although the lawsuit does not claim the jail had inadequate staffing.

The prisoner, Jack Marden, died at the hospital following a violent struggle with corrections officers. His wife filed a wrongful death lawsuit Dec. 31, 2015, against Midland County and corrections officers at the jail.

Stephenson said he has requested more money from county leaders in order to hire more corrections officers to oversee jail operations. But the Midland County Board of Commissioners wants to see a jail staff analysis first.

"Everyone wants more resources, I understand that," said Midland County Commissioner Scott Noesen. "We also have to be good stewards of the peoples' money."

For now, Stephenson has dropped the inmate population at the facility, which hovered at about 270 inmates in 2015, to 205 inmates by mid-December.

Safety a priority

Safety is the number one reason for the change, the sheriff said.

"I need to either have the staff level meet my capacity, or I'll drop my capacity to meet the staffing level," he said.

That change impacts revenue generated by the jail from housing out-of-county inmates. Jail revenue grew from $809,868 in 2010 to its highest amount, $3.1 million, in 2014, according to figures from the Midland County Treasurer's Office.

The jail brought in $2,579,800 through November 2015 year-to-date.

Revenue from the jail fluctuates based on the number and type of inmates, such as federal inmates or inmates in from other jurisdictions, that the facility is housing. In 2013 and 2014, the county collected $2.4 million and $2.5 million, respectively, from out-of-county inmates, according to county records.

The money from boarding inmates from other jurisdictions helps to offset the cost of repaying bonds used to build the facility, as well as its operating costs.

Since the jail opened in 2009, the total amount of bond payments has totaled $13.9 million while the total revenue generated from boarding inmates from other jurisdictions total $11 million, according to county records.

Below is a detailed look at jail revenues, expenditures, and net cost to taxpayers provided by the Midland County Treasurer's Office:

Jail revenue, expenditures and net cost to taxpayers provided by the Midland County Treasurer's Office.

In 2016, jail revenue could be significantly less, Stephenson said. That will happen if staffing isn't increased and the jail population stays at a lower level.

Fights between inmates

The county's Board of Commissioners in October approved funding for two new, part-time officers for the jail, but rejected Stephenson's request for eight officers.

After the sheriff's request, two fights broke out in common area at the jail filled with dozens of inmates. The first fight, on Nov. 21, involved several inmates, one swinging a chair to hit another on the ground.

Another fight involving multiple inmates happened the next day in a commons area.

Both cases involved federal inmates housed at the county facility and were sent to the Midland County Prosecutor's Office for review.

Inmates fight at Midland County Jail 17 Gallery: Inmates fight at Midland County Jail

"Whenever you bring people together from different regions and backgrounds, you do have potential for problems in a correctional setting," Stephenson said, noting that 81 federal inmates were still at the jail in early December.

Stephenson said the fights were concerning because they involved a greater number of people and resulted in more substantial injuries than usual.

More staff presence could help to stop such problems before they erupt in violence, he said.

The current staffing level means 40 or more people are alone in the day room at times, Stephenson said, without a corrections officer there with them. The areas are monitored by staff using video surveillance.

The jail houses inmates from local, federal, Michigan Department of Corrections and some other jurisdictions, the sheriff said, and noted civilian medical staff, teachers, clergy and kitchen workers are in secure areas of the jail.

In December, Stephenson began sending some out-of-county inmates away, including many from Genesee County or from the Michigan Department of Corrections.

The recent inmate population drop increased safety, the sheriff believes.

Stephenson said one reason he wants more corrections officers is that there are administrative rules that Michigan jails are required to follow. He said he also has heard from Mid Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, which conducted a "best practice review" in May 2015, that recommended the jail get more staffing.

Staffing concerns

The jail opened before Stephenson's time as sheriff, on Dec. 31, 2009, as a 250-bed facility. It added 24 beds in 2012, becoming a 274-bed jail.

Stephenson, who took office in January 2013, said the jail was never adequately staffed.

The Midland County Jail at 101 Fast Ice Drive in Midland.

He said he asked commissioners several times about the issue, three times in public meetings and also during conversations.

"If I can generate revenue, I will. But I won't do it at the cost of the safety of staff inmates and members of our community," he said.

Commissioner Noesen said the board has approved funding for a new jail staff analysis for less than $10,000 and a representative of the bid-winning company was expected on site in mid-December to tour the building.

He expects to hear results of the analysis in early 2016.

Stephenson said more staff analysis is not necessary, noting that six reviews have been performed in the past when the building had 250 beds.

Noesen said the board gave the sheriff two part-time positions when he asked for more staffing.

"We'd given him some in the last several years as well," the commissioner said. "I don't think he's ever asked for eight."

"In some respects, it's coming out of the blue."

Stephenson said part of why he asked for eight corrections officers is because he became aware of Michigan Department of Corrections administrative rules that require one officer for every inmate-occupied area.

Noesen said the rules are "a bit ambiguous."

The consultant providing the jail staff analysis was asked to get clarification about the administrative rules, Noesen said.

The sheriff believes the rules are clear and the jail is required by law to follow them. He said he didn't know about the rules until this year.

His latest request to the commissioners would have added two officers per shift and cost about $442,000. Stephenson estimates the annual cost in lost revenue with the current setup at the jail could cost the county $700,000 or more.

At up to $75 per inmate per day, the move hurts the county's revenue, but that's not the sheriff's main concern.

A guard monitors security footage inside the main command room of the Midland County Jail at 101 Fast Ice Drive in Midland, Michigan on Jan. 5, 2016. Click for gallery.

He plans to keep the population about 210 with current staff levels and "closely evaluate those levels to see if it's a safe inmate population for the jail and adjust if need be."

Noesen noted that the sheriff is free to move road deputies to the jail to bolster numbers.

The sheriff said that's what he would be forced to do if the jail were to continue to operate without a higher staffing level and two serious incidents happened at once at the jail.

"We'll have to call in city police and county deputies," he said.

Commissioner James Gleason declined to comment on the issue. Commissioner James Leigeb said he believes the sheriff's requests are reasonable.

He voted against the proposed county budget, which did not include funding for the eight jail officers.

"I'm very dissatisfied with the priorities put on our spending," Leigeb said. "I need to look more at public safety and less than these endeavors we spend a lot on, for example, parks and recreation."

Noesen feels confident that they will find a solution that works.

"If I thought there was a long history of problems here with staffing levels we wouldn't be waiting for a study," he said. "I think if you look at our jail's performance compared to other jails, we compare very favorably."

-- Brad Devereaux is a public safety reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+