MONROE — Green County Jail still can’t house female inmates, an issue that first arose earlier this year. Officials say there may be an end in sight to the current practice of sending the county’s female prisoners to the Iowa County Jail in Dodgeville.

The initiative began this past summer, when four female inmates were first moved to the Iowa County Jail on July 26. They are mostly inmates awaiting trial or those who can’t post bond.

The jail simply didn’t have enough staff, particularly female corrections officers. Beyond basic staffing ratios, some responsibilities of holding either female — or male — inmates are gender specific, according to officials.

Deputies also have been logging overtime to help make up for the staffing shortfall.

The cost of holding an inmate in another jail is between $50 and $60 per day as well as Green County being responsible for medical costs and the transportation of the inmate to that jail and back if required for a court appearance.

Lately, Green County Sheriff Jeff Skatrud said the department has had better luck in hiring new staff for jail duty in recent months.

“We have had two male jail deputies start recently and a female applicant starting next Monday,” said Skatrud. “Based on the quality of some of our newer applicants, I am optimistic that we will be getting closer to being adequately staffed within the next couple of months.”

Those new recruits will be trained for 14 weeks, followed by a 5-week “jail academy” session, he said.

“We want to get them back as soon as possible,” Skatrud said of the county’s female inmate population.

According to the sheriff’s department website, candidates for jail posts must be at least 20, a U.S. citizen with a high school diploma and no felony or domestic abuse related crime convictions. Skatrud said the starting wage for a jail deputy is $22.07; and will increase to $22.74 on Jan. 1.

Still, an applicant may start at an even higher rate, depending on prior experience in the same field. Skatrud said an added advantage to the job in Green County is that correctional officers are sworn, deputy sheriff officers with what’s known as “protective status,” which enables them to retire at an earlier age than civilian correctional officers.

Those interested in starting the application process can do so online at the county’s website, greencountywi.org.