Inmate detention costs a hot topic among officials
BY TRISH HOLLENBECK Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2008


The cost of detaining inmates at the Washington County Detention Center continue to be a source of discussion among justices of the peace, and some county officials say more reimbursement of daily costs from agencies that use it could be the solution if any expansion occurs. So far, justices of the peace are talking about what could happen if jail census numbers rise in the near future. This year, the jail is in the black and, for the second year in a row, does not need to be supported by the general fund, said County Comptroller Boyd Darling. He says, however, that the budget is tight.

Costs of detainment The cost to detain inmates at the Washington County Detention Center is $ 60 per day.

That money is reimbursed in a variety of ways for a variety of inmate types.

There is a one-time $ 50 booking fee for Fayetteville inmates held on misdemeanor charges, and a $ 10 onetime booking fee for inmates from small towns held on misdemeanor charges.

There are no charges for felons. The county pays for them.

The U. S. Marshal's Office pays the county $ 50 a day to house some federal prisoners. There is no booking fee for these prisoners.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency reimburses $ 50 a day for inmates held in the Washington County Detention Center on immigration holds. Again, there is no booking fee.

Inmates committed to the Arkansas Department of Correction once they are convicted often remain in the county detention center for a while until they go to prison. The Arkansas Department of Correction reimburses the county $ 28 per day for these inmates. Then there are inmates ser ving their sentences through Act 309. This act allows state prisoners that have served time in penitentiaries to serve time in county detention centers performing work such as welding and vehicle maintenance. The state reimburses the county $ 15 per day on these prisoners. Maj. Randall Denzer, who oversees detention at the Washington County Sheriff 's Office, said these inmates are non-violent offenders with clean records while in prison; essentially, model prisoners. The county pays for inmates serving their sentences in the detention center.

Census The Washington County Detention Center census usually hovers in the 500 to 600 range, while capacity is 710, Denzer said. If crime picks up, he said, there may be a need for more space and people, or tough decisions on what types of inmates must be held and what types can be released. Numbers so far this year mirror last year's figures, except for the number of holds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. • Last year, there were 15, 000 bookings. As of Aug. 31 this year, there have been 9, 859 bookings. Bookings as of the same period last year were a little more than 10, 000. • The biggest increase on bookings has been for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds. The number was 486 as of Aug. 31 this year. It was 271 at the same time last year. The Sheriff 's Office last September reached an agreement with federal authorities, enabling four trained deputies to enforce specific immigration laws. The county works as part of the Northwest Arkansas Immigration Criminal Apprehension Task Force, which also comprises trained officers from the Benton County Sheriff's Office and Springdale and Rogers police departments. Also involved are the ICE Office of Detention and Removal Operations and the ICE Office of Investigations. The task force was formed last year under the government's 287 (g ) program, which authorizes local police to investigate illegal immigrants for federal prosecution and deportation. • The number of Arkansas Department of Correction committed inmates held in the detention center at various times as of Aug. 31 this year is roughly the same as the number at the same time last year - a little more than 600. • There were 1, 410 pretrial inmates held at various times this year in the jail as of Aug. 31. That figure was about the same last year at this time. • There were 76 U. S. Marshal's Office holds as of Aug. 31 this year; that figure was 43 last year at the same time. • There were 573 county committed inmates (serving sentences in the detention center ) as of Aug. 31 this year; the number was 484 last year at the same time.

Cost recovery In his budget assumptions for the next year, Justice of the Peace H. L. Goodwin Jr., chairman of the Quorum Court Finance Committee, has raised the question of cost recovery. Justice of the Peace Tom Lundstrum agrees with this line of thinking. "I think we need to start charging the cities what it costs us to keep a prisoner," Lundstrum said. He specifically mentioned Fayetteville and Springdale. (Felons from Springdale are held in the county detention center, but the city keeps those facing misdemeanor charges in its own jail. ) "I don't know if small towns would be able to pay that full amount or not, " Lundstrum said of the daily cost to detain inmates.

He said he does not favor any sales tax increases for the jail.

"It may come to that eventually, if they build a new pod," he said.

To help make up some costs, Denzer says he would like to see the state reimbursement figure go up for Arkansas Department of Correction committed inmates.

Justice of the Peace Micah Neal says he believes the detention operation needs to be user-fee based.

"We don't have to ask for a raise in sales tax to make it work," Neal said.

He said the budget is close.

He said there is a possibility Fayetteville and the small towns may have to pay something per day.

"It just depends on how things go in the budget," he said.

Most of the revenue for jail operations and maintenance comes from the quarter-cent sales tax.

Year to date, the jail has received 72 percent of its projected revenue for this year, which is $ 9, 862, 535. The cash balance as of Aug. 31 this year was $ 3, 483, 953. There was $ 10, 633, 787 in actual revenue last year.

Neal also said officials need to be looking at ways to keep people out of jail, such as community service.

"I'm getting to the point that we don't need to necessarily build bigger jails. We may need to re-look at our sentencing and who actually goes to jail and the way things operate."

If user fees go up, he said small-town judges will "definitely"take a re-look at sentencing "if user fees are put on there because somebody's got to pay."

Justice of the Peace David Daniel said he does not think there needs to be any fees "necessarily right now "because of the jail being in the black.

He said he does not think there is a "real desperate need"to add a pod to the jail right now.

"I think there's a lot more creative things they can do before they think about building a pod," he said.
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