While it may be beneficial to put criminals behind bars, it doesn't come without a cost. According to Marshall County Commissioner Donald Mason, the county pays about $600,000 a year for its inmates in the Northern Regional Jail. Now, the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia and the Regional Jail Authority are looking to cut costs to counties, he said.

According to Mason, each county pays for its own residents in jail. The state pays for prison inmates. He said while the price that each county pays per day has not increased much over the years, the number of inmates in jail has increased, meaning the county must use more taxpayer money for the fees.

"I think in our area drugs are a big issue that have put more people in prison. I think sometimes rather than just putting them in prison, we need to find ways to keep them out of prison the next time," Mason said.

He said many cost-cutting ideas are being discussed throughout the state, including buying supplies in bulk and also cutting unnecessary money to the jail.

Mason said that recently the state did decide to cut the cost counties pay per day from $48.80 to $48.25, which could save Marshall County about $7,000 a year.