Officials say the Mercer-Boyle County Jail is at 170 percent capacity, making it one of the most overcrowded jails in Kentucky.
Boyle County Jailer Barry Harmon says the jail has a population of 327 inmates.
The Advocate Messenger reports the jail has a record number of female inmates, with 85. Harmon says it is the fourth-most overcrowded jail in the state. Nearby Lincoln County is at the top of that list at 204 percent capacity with 147 inmates.
Harmon says the rise in female inmates is a trend and he expects the number to increase.
Harmon was sharing the statistics before a fiscal court meeting in Boyle County on Tuesday. The numbers from the Department of Corrections say Kentucky has 22 jails that are at or above 137 percent capacity.
