MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - Mahoning County Sheriff Randall Wellington will ask a federal judge for permission to lay off 101 employees from his department.

The sheriff, along with county commissioners and Youngstown city officials, will appear before a three-judge panel on Wednesday discuss the possible cuts.

Sources believe city officials plan to oppose the proposed layoffs.

Sheriff Wellington said the cuts would mean half of the county jail will close and the inmate population will be reduced from 403 to 254, meaning some inmates will be released.

The county's misdeameanor jail would  also close.

The move means the County won't be in compliance with a Federal consent decree mandating certain staffing levels at the county jail. Wellington says although he is bound by the decree it's "impossible to abide by due to a lack of funds."

The Sheriff says he's anticipating a drop in his annual operating budget from $5.7 million to $4 million dollars and adds "the impact on our criminal justice system and this community could throw us back to where we were in 2005."

This isn't the first time the sheriff's department has released inmates from the county lockup. Wellington says this round won't happen until later this month and violent felons will not be released.

Wellington added the impact will be felt "in countless ways." Deputies also provide security in the county courthouse.