NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans Sheriff Marlin Gusman says he'll soon ship nearly 200 Louisiana inmates back to state custody from the city's jail.

Gusman was under fire from city officials and inmate advocates for housing state convicts while transferring local pre-trial inmates to a jail hours away near the Arkansas state line.

Gusman has repeatedly said the city provides too little money to hire and retain the number of deputies needed for jail security. More than 100 of the inmates being transferred were part of a "re-entry" program for convicts nearing the end of their sentences.

Even with the pending transfer, Gusman says he doesn't plan to bring pre-trial inmates back, given his staffing situation.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu's spokesman Hayne Rainey said Friday the issue is one of jail management, not funding.