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January 31, 2007
UT: Inmates might have to pay for jail costs
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Inmates might have to pay for jail costs
LORETTA PARK - STANDARD-EXAMINER
County jail inmates may be paying some of the costs of keeping them incarcerated if a bill becomes law.
Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings spoke Monday on behalf of House Bill 263, sponsored by Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield. The House committee approved the bill, and it now moves to the House floor for a vote.
Rawlings said current law allows judges to order inmates to pay for a portion of their jail stay to offset costs, but judges are reluctant to do so. Rawlings said Davis County judges do not want to be "the heavy-handed collector."
Oda's bill would automatically allow counties to bill inmates for a portion of their jail stay unless a judge orders otherwise.
If the fee is not paid, the inmate could have his probation extended until it is paid, or the bill could be sent to the Office of Debt Collection, Rawlings said.
Rawlings spoke in front of the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. Attorney Reed Richards also spoke in favor of the bill on behalf of the Utah Sheriff's Association.
He said Weber County is in the process of allowing the jail to bill inmates for their stay. The county is considering charging $10 a day. It costs the county about $42 a day to house an inmate.
Charging an inmate the full price would "more than likely make it impossible to collect," Richards said.
Davis County Sheriff Bud Cox said after the hearing an inmate convicted of a misdemeanor stays in jail an average of 22 days after conviction.
One of the longest stays by an inmate waiting for a trial was Todd Jeremy Rettenberger, Cox said. Rettenberger stayed in jail for five years until he pleaded guilty to third-degree felony manslaughter in connection with the death of Motel 6 night clerk, Matthew John Whicker in 1996. "This is just a matter of them realizing they are costing the taxpayer money for their stay in jail," Cox said.
A $10 fee is "better than nothing," Cox said.
HB 263, Jail Expenses Amendments, Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield. This bill would require inmates to pay restitution for the cost of incarceration, unless otherwise ordered by the court. Under the bill, the inmate would pay the cost of incarceration to the county correctional facility before and after sentencing, unless the amount is reduced or eliminated. The county jail would determine the cost of incarceration, but it couldn't exceed the costs established in state law.
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/208437/
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A3.
Posted by lois at January 31, 2007 04:48 PM