Towns in Mississippi with local jails are totally reliant on state funding transfers for cash and jobs. Mississippi county officials have warned that there will be massive loss of jobs and deep deficits if the current vacancy rates in these prisons continue to increase.

The local officials say that the state government and private prisons are the main culprits. Feeling financial hit from the loss of inmates, these prisons are looking for ways to create their own revenues as courts and War on Drugs reforms have led to minimum arrests and sentencing to fill those jails.

In the earlier deal, the state had guaranteed that the local jail would be more than 80% occupied and the locals would receive an annual compensation of not less than 3%. The local officials say that the reforms at the state and local levels have reduced the prison population, something that is likely to create a massive loss of jobs and deep deficits.