The Kankakee County Board's finance committee voted Tuesday in favor of paying for a new county jail security system. The $69,300 cost...according to Sheriff Tim Bukowski...will be a savings in the big-picture. That's because he says it would cost about $300,000 a year plus benefits to have an employee guard a door.

The move comes after the much-publicized jail break by convicted-killer Kamron Taylor earlier this month.

The Daily-Journal reports the security system is a fingerprint-reading device. It requires jail employees to swipe a keycard and scan their fingerprints. The jail's central command center would view the employee's information and photo ID. Video cameras would then be matching up the employee to their photo ID.

County board members debated whether the fingerprint system was worth the cost as the county continues to deal with dwindling revenues. Expanding the budget comes right after news surfaced last week that more cuts are coming to deal with the budget crisis.

It wasn't too long ago when several sheriff deputies and correctional officers were eliminated.

Sheriff Bukowski also warned the county could lose major revenue if Cook County and the U.S. Marshals Service determine the detention center isn't secure enough. Non-local prisoners thru the federal program brings big dollars to Kankakee County.

Bukowski's request passed on a 7-4 vote. Board Chairman Mike Bossert and board members Jim Vickery, Steve Einfeldt and Janis Peters voted against it.

94.1 WGFA