CALDWELL - Locking up criminals is an everyday duty for Deputy Betty Cossins. But on Nov. 9, operations started changing.

"We're housing our inmates in other counties, and at a great cost to taxpayers in canyon county," Cossins said.

That's because the 296 bed jail is full.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued the county over poor jail conditions earlier this year. Then, the public voted down a $46,000,000 bond for a new, bigger jail.

"I was frustrated, very frustrated," Cossins said.

And to settle the dispute with the ACLU, Canyon County agreed to several changes. So now it's paying $40 per inmate, to ship and house them in other counties. And 20 inmates so far, have been transferred elsewhere.

Monica Hopkins, executive directer with the ACLU says that's a small price to pay for protecting civil rights.

"Conditions inmates were being held in violated civil rights, so Canyon County officials will do what they need to maintain minimum requirements," Hopkins said.

But John Bujak, Canyon County prosecutor, is worried that could mean more crime, because some offenders may be let go because there's no room in the jail.

"In the past, DUI's for example you'd spend time in jail - now the jail is full," Bujak said. "So, that's not an option on a first offense."

But the bottom line is, the jail cannot be overcrowded.

"We had to a have workable solution," Cossins said. "The solution was housing them in other counties."

Canyon County says its budgeted $250,000 for this fiscal year for shipping inmates, but the sheriff says he will probably go over that budget.