PRYOR — Mayes County Jail is overflowing with inmates.

“In the last three weeks, we’re officially over capacity in the county jail,” said Mayes County Sheriff Frank Cantey.

Cantey said the county jail holds 148 inmates.

Last week, there were 162 in jail. Monday, the jail was holding 159 inmates.

“We’re going to have to figure out what to do with them,” Cantey said.

Cantey said the jail is at the point where warrants are being turned away right and left because there is no room to hold the offenders.

The county’s holding facility is 10 years old. “I knew it was too small when they built it,” Cantey said, who was not the sheriff at the time.

Cantey said the jail is doubling and tripling the amount of inmates per cell.

“We’re putting them where we can find an empty spot,” he said.

Cantey said a cell built for four people may have five or six inmates inside. The jailers put extra mattresses on the floor for each inmate.

Cantey said the county may have to seek contracts with other counties to transfer inmates.

“We hate to do that, because we have to pay these other counties to keep our prisoners,” Cantey said. “Can’t afford to keep them and can’t afford to send them off.”

The county already transports juveniles to other counties that have holding facilities for youthful offenders.

Cantey does not see the jail expanding any time in the near future. An expansion would have to be approved by Mayes County voters. A minimal expansion, Cantey said, would cost $500,000.

“You’re looking at years,” said Cantey. If a bond were passed, it would take another three or four years before

the completion of a new facility.

“There’s no easy answer,” Cantey said.

Cantey said the reason for the overflow is a lack of money to post bail.

“People can’t make bond,” he said, adding that a lot of the prisoners are waiting it out. Some are unemployed and do not have a job to go back to anyway.

Cantey feels the tough economic times are contributing to overflow of prisoners.

“I think that has a lot to do with it,” he said.