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Despite a state mandate, it could be May or later before state prisoners find their way into the county's new jail.

Starting this week, convicted misdemeanor offenders sentenced to between three and six months in jail will serve time in county jails instead of state prisons. Extending stays could save the state $33 million a year, according to estimates. The state pays counties $40 a day for each state inmate it houses. It costs the state $64 a day to house an inmate in prison.

"But it costs me $59 a day," said Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes. "We have 200 or more prisoners sleeping on the floors, and we have no room in the old jail. So if we start taking state prisoners, it will be when the new detention center opens in May. For now, we have opted out of taking state prisoners."

The new 1,000-bed downtown Greensboro Detention Center is scheduled to open to receive prisoners as soon as March 1 and be fully operational in May. The $90 million building, which dominates much of a city block behind the old jail on Sycamore Street, is the largest structure the county has built.

State officials estimate 4,500 people a year convicted of misdemeanor crimes could go to county jails. Longer sentences are more common for assault and some property crimes for defendants with a prior criminal record. Barnes said he has no idea how many state prisoners eventually may come to county jails. Many prisoners and state officials want inmates to serve their time as close to home as possible.

"I have no clue," Barnes said. "It depends on what the judges do with misdemeanants. If and when we have to go with this, we could use the County Prison Farm. We will make it work."

The medium-security Prison Farm is located at Gibsonville. The county also operates a jail in High Point. Classifying, or deciding where to place state prisoners, will be a major effort, Barnes said.

Meanwhile, jail construction is on budget and on time, Barnes said.

"We have hired the 89 new staff approved for us, but we have about 10 vacancies," Barnes said. "Some people said we could not get the hiring done. We did."