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August 01, 2009
IL: County to charge inmates for jail time Sheriff also plans to put prisoners to work on area roads
County to charge inmates for jail time
Sheriff also plans to put prisoners to work on area roads
By ERIC TIMMONS
The Register-Mail
Posted Jul 30, 2009
GALESBURG,IL
Prisoners at the Knox County jail soon will have to pay for their stay in the county lockup.
Sheriff David Clague told the Knox County Board Wednesday he hopes to raise over $100,000 a year by charging inmates $5 for each night they spend in jail. He also plans to put prisoners to work picking up trash and fixing area roads.
The Knox County Board voted in favor of Clague’s proposal Wednesday. Clague said all county department heads had been asked to try and find new revenue streams to offset reductions in state funding and the pressures of a weak economy.
The sole County Board member to vote against the plan to charge inmates for their stay in jail was Lyle Johnson, D-District 1.
He said the burden of paying the $5 charge could fall on relatives of inmates who have not committed a crime. “Somebody’s going to have to pay and it’s going to have be the family,” Johnson said.
Clague acknowledged that families would likely end up footing the bill, but said that might make criminals think twice before breaking the law. “If that’s a concern then they should consider that before going out and committing a crime,” he said. “I’m not making them pay the money, that family member is.”
Clague said inmates enjoy good living conditions at the public’s expense and he didn’t think it was unreasonable to expect them to pay for their time in jail. He said the practice is common in southern states and has been instituted in Peoria County.
“They are sitting in a cell paid for by the taxpayers with heating, air conditioning and three meals a day,” Clague said. “In return, why can’t we benefit somewhat?”
Most inmates will be able to afford the $5 nightly fee, Clague said. He explained that prisoners have special accounts where they lodge money to buy small items such as phone cards and painkillers while in jail. Money from those “commissary accounts” will now be used for the nightly fee. “About 92 percent of our current inmates have money on the books,” Clague said.
Prisoners who can’t pay, however, could be offered a chance to work on area roads to cover their bill. Clague said he had already hatched a plan to put prisoners to work in “menial” jobs that could save the county money.
Any prisoners selected to work outside will be carefully screened to make sure they don’t pose a safety risk. “Were not going to give them a chain saw or a knife or anything like that,” Clague said. He added that he had discussed his plan to put prisoners to work with the county’s highway department.
Clague estimated the county could net $110,000 a year by charging prisoners for their time behind bars and he expects to launch the scheme within the next week. He said the $5 fee was reasonable considering that some southern states charge up to $60 for a night in a cell.
County Board member Wayne Saline, R-District 4, said he supported the plan. “It’s not like it’s free for the taxpayers while they are in there,” he said. “They did something to get in there and we should be able to recoup something from them.”
Some inmates are held in the county jail ahead of trial or court hearing, meaning they have yet to be found guilty. Clague said those inmates will still have to pay the $5 fee.
http://www.galesburg.com/news/x1543608270/County-to-charge-inmates-for-jail-time?popular=true
Posted by lois at August 1, 2009 10:20 AM