Governor Beshear is calling on a group of legal authorities from across the state to find ways to relieve the prison system's financial burden on taxpayers.

Kentucky tops the nation for the highest growing prison population in the country, and Warren County is among the highest in the state.

Those numbers are forcing local officials to take a look at inmate population.

"Any jail in Kentucky that you walk in to, that you're going to visit, you're going to see an over crowded situation," says Warren County Jailer Jackie Strode, who says an increase in inmate population is posing some major problems both nationally and locally.

Now area prisons are feeling the pressure.

"What's happened in Warren County, we have, if I remember correctly, the third highest felony case load in our court system, and then we're number one in the misdemeanor cases," he explains.

Some cases are only payable by time served, but it doesn't always have to be in a cell.

As an alternative to prison, the jailer is working with area judges to increase the number of house arrest sentences.

"Today we have about 40 to 45 people on home incarceration, so that helps. Those people would normally be there," says Strode.

And the fewer the number of bodies in prison, the less you have to pay in taxes.

That's because state laws require inmates to eat a certain number of calories, exercise a given amount of time and provide various other services to prisoners.

So if you're not worried about the state prison population, Strode says you might want to think again.

"You need to care because it's your tax dollars that has to pay to subsidize the jail budget."

120 jailers from across Kentucky are in Bowling Green this week to discuss this issue among many others.