Thread: PA: Adams seeks payment for illegals in prison

Adams seeks payment for illegals in prison
By CAITLIN HEANEY
Evening Sun Reporter
Article Launched: 12/13/2007 09:40:04 AM EST


A Texas company will pursue federal reimbursements for Adams County to help the county recoup money it spends handling illegal aliens in its prison system.

The county commissioners signed a four-year agreement Wednesday with Justice Benefits Inc. The company will be paid 22 percent of whatever reimbursements its obtains on behalf of the county, said Commissioner Glenn Snyder.

"Right now it's just the cost of doing business, but if they're illegal we can get reimbursed for our time, the money we spent," Snyder said.

The county had been finishing paperwork and turning over the illegal aliens but not collecting any money for its time, Snyder said. But using Justice Benefits Inc. will give the county an opportunity for reimbursements without having to use one of its own personnel to handle the paperwork.

"This company will take 22 percent of whatever they recoup," Snyder said. "That's cheaper than having a person do it, really, because we don't know how much it is."

Snyder could not say how many illegal aliens come through the county prison. Commissioner Lucy Lott said illegal aliens in the county may not necessarily be arrested for being illegal but for other charges.

"They're arrested for some other charge, and then they find out they don't have the paperwork," Lott said.

The county prison is not the only arm of the criminal justice system that could pursue federal reimbursements for work involving illegal aliens, according to Snyder. Police officers from any jurisdiction can recoup costs like the county, he said.

"They can go after it the same as we can," Snyder said.

http://www.eveningsun.com/localnews/ci_7710481

I think we need to bill the Mexican government for these costs,after all where ever there is a Mexican there is Mexico, right?