The cost of housing inmates in the Forrest County Jail has gone up and county officials want the city of Hattiesburg to pay more for its inmates.

This year, City Council President Kim Bradley says the city will pay approximately $450,000 to house its inmates in the county’s overcrowded downtown facility.

District 1 Supervisor David Hogan says the city currently pays the county $20 a day, per inmate, for housing costs. Hogan said it actually costs about $50 a day.

Sheriff Billy McGee says at least 70 percent of the county’s inmate cases initiate in Hattiesburg.