UNCOLLECTABLE FEEL-GOOD FEE

There’s no way this is going to work because you can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip. Restitution to victims, state surcharges, fines and other charges will have to be paid by inmates once they’ve been placed on probation or parole before the county can collect a jail fee. And since most of the inmates cannot afford to pay those charges, it’s a fat chance the county will ever be able to collect its jail fee.

The County Supervisors did nothing more than pass some worthless feel-good legislation.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERVISORS FINALIZE JAIL FEE
By Duane W. Gang

The Press-Enterprise
November 16, 2011

Anyone convicted of a crime and sentenced to Riverside County jail will soon have to pay for their stays in the lockup.

Riverside County supervisors gave their final approval Tuesday to a measure aimed at recovering the $142.42 per day it costs to keep someone behind bars.

Although authorized by state law, the county ordinance may be the first of its kind in the state and one already being watched closely by other counties, said Curtis J. Hill, a legislative representative with the California State Sheriffs’ Association.

Counties across California are struggling with ways to fund jail operations and house an influx of new inmates as a result of the state’s public-safety realignment plan.

Under the state program, low-level offenders who would normally go to prison now will serve their sentences in county jails.

“We are going to be taking a look at it,” Hill said Wednesday of Riverside County’s ordinance. “It is so important now with realignment that the counties have the necessary funds to keep ongoing, consistent funding.”

Cindy Bachman, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said officials there also will watch how the Riverside County measure works.

But at this point, San Bernardino County has no plans to seek a similar fee, she said.

“We actually believe it is an impractical mechanism for routine cost recovery,” Bachman said. “Most defendants have a very limited ability to pay.”

Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone, who sponsored the ordinance, said last week that it is important that taxpayers are reimbursed “wherever and whenever permissible.”

“By adopting this ordinance in Riverside County, if you do the crime, you’ll do the time and you’ll pay the dime,” Stone said.

State law allows counties to collect the money as a term of probation, provided a court determines a defendant has the financial ability to pay. The county also can go after the money for the time spent in jail awaiting trial, if the person is later convicted.

The county ordinance takes effect 30 days after Tuesday’s vote.

It is unclear how much money the county can collect. Stone said he hopes for as much as $5 million.

But County Counsel Pamela Walls told supervisors that collecting the money may be difficult.

The county isn’t first in line to get money from inmates, Walls wrote in a memo. Restitution to victims, state surcharges, fines and other charges are ahead of the county.