The sheriff wanted to move more than the inmates to a center in Epps, Louisiana, and contract with other private facilities to house inmates on a need-be basis.
The county already pays out millions of dollars a year to the center in Louisiana. Some 600 inmates were moved there because of overcrowding issues in the past.
The county has been cited twice in recent years for having too many inmates. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the jail system to see if any civil rights of inmates have been violated.
The move is expected to save the county around $5 million.
