The Butler County Prison expects to bring in $270,000 in six months by housing Venango County inmates.

The Butler County commissioners Wednesday ratified a contract signed Monday with Venango County to house that county’s inmates for $60 a day.

Butler Warden Joe DeMore said the projected revenue is based on having 25 inmates over six months.

DeMore said the prison would not have to hire more staff to accommodate the new prisoners.

“We absorb no costs,” he said. “We have the available bed space.”

The commissioners voted Wednesday instead of waiting for next week’s voting meeting because Venango needed to send 24 inmates here Tuesday due to overcrowding.

As of Wednesday morning, there were 358 total inmates in the Butler prison. Of that number, 30 are state inmates and 30 are federal prisoners.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections pays the county a daily rate of $72 per prisoner while the U.S. Marshals’ office in Pittsburgh pays $77 for each federal inmate.

DeMore said the Venango inmates will offset a decrease in state inmates, which numbered 57.

“This is a way to replace the revenue we thought we were going to get,” he said.