The Responsibility Project^®. Exploring what it means to do the right thing

Doing Time: Pay to Stay

206 Comments

July 21, 2009 by Kathy McManus

Old saying: If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.

New saying: If you can’t pay for the time, don’t do the crime.

Straddling the intersection of recession and responsibility, a Missouri county prosecutor wants to start charging local jail inmates $45 a night for room and board, saying “It doesn’t make sense that our citizens should have to pay for the irresponsible behavior of others in these tough economic times”

In cash-strapped municipalities across the US, a pay-to-stay trend has emerged behind bars, shifting costs from taxpayers to the convicted. Salt Lake County Metro Jail is charging inmates $40 for each day spent in lock-up. At the new Springfield, Oregon lockup, convicted prisoners will be dinged $60 a night. And a county jail in Iowa even considered making inmates pay for toilet paper.

“If they are in jail, they should be responsible for their own expenses,” says one law enforcement official. “Once you start looking at things, you’re like ‘Why haven’t we thought of this before?’” A county sheriff says, “When they’ve been found guilty of a crime, they’re ordered to pay restitution back to their victims. Why shouldn’t they pay restitution back to the taxpayers?”

Critics of such plans warn that saddling inmates with big bills for jail housing could backfire. “Many of these individuals have a difficult time re-entering society anyway,” one said. “We don’t want them so burdened with debt that any legitimate attempt at re-entry is impossible, and they turn back to crime to pay the fees you just imposed on them.”

“Really,” said a law professor, “it’s a poor person’s tax.”

Tell us what you think: Should people convicted of a crime be forced to pay the costs of their jail stay? If there was no recession, should they pay? Do we as taxpayers have a responsibility to cover the costs of running our jails?

206 Comments

What do you think? Leave a comment

• July 23, 2009 by Michelle Gluck

  Soooo, what if they are sentenced to life? How would they ever work that off when an inmate makes between .25 cents and 2 dollars a day?! Or even 6 months, when they get out, they would have to work it off along with a multitude of other fines our judicial system implements on them, not to mention the ridiculous cost of probation, court fees, and the possibility of not being able to get a decent paying job. Are they trying to make this a profit center? Where does the money come from in the meantime? Hhhmmm... taxpayers? Or will the guards, jail admin, and warden wait for their paychecks?

  Reply

  • July 24, 2009 by Anonymous

    They're talking about jail, not prison. No one ever serves a life or even lengthy term in jail.

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    • April 17, 2010 by Bettye Thornton

      Not true. I have spent 254 days in the county jail and could spend another year at the probation officer's discretion. And I have never been adjudicated guilty. Florida is a "pay if you stay" state. Those poor rich snow birds from Canada don't have a clue what the real town is like. Go home if you know what's good for you. Bettye

    • July 31, 2010 by Cheryl

      thats not true ,my son has been in the county jail for 2 yrs, he ows 19000.00 dollars , thats crazy , so by the time he gets out he will be so far in debt he will never get out of it. i dont think they should have to pay to be locked up, the jail and the courts make enough money off fines and other crap they can figure out to charge you with.

    • September 9, 2011 by Terri

      In Springfield Mo. the majority of the inmates are there for more then a yr. There are inmates in there for victimless crimes. I know they should pay something, but how are they going to do that when it takes the courts so long to get the cases into court? It is insane how long it takes. From what I have read Greene County is the worst on postponing the cases.

  • November 2, 2010 by j

    Good point!

    Reply

    • September 17, 2011 by gb

      A reasonable amount of charges could be assessed probably equal to the amount they are paid while in Jail. - This could act as a deterant to some one contemplating committing a crime.Either that or ordering them to a sentence of Hard labor benefiting the local community. ie Trash pickup /recycling/non violent offenders perhaps working during the day and back to jail at night and their pay docked for the jail time.

    • September 18, 2011 by Mike

      That is called Work Release, the facility I work at has it and we charge the inmates 25% of their GROSS pay. I know a lot of people think that inmates shouldn't be charged to stay because of other fines and costs, let me fill you in on some details that get forgotten.

      First when these folks commit their crime a police officer has to be paid to arrest them. From there the police department has to pay for the fuel to transport that person from the scene of the crime to the jail. Once at the jail they have to be fed, clothed, medicated (if needed), given hygiene supplies, kept warm in the winter, cool in the summer, provided bedding and a place to sleep. All of this takes place in a multi-milion dollar facility that needs to have paid officers to supervise the inmates along with running electricity and water.

      I agree that there needs to be some common sense when tacking on a per diem fee, but I'm all for doing it. Why should law abiding citizens who are having a hard enough time making their own ends meet have to pay for some criminal to get free room, board, medical treatment, and various other necessities?

      In my facility we have one inmate that takes medication that costs over $1,200 per month of which he only has to pay $15 and he complains about that.

    • September 18, 2011 by Toni

      I think those who have the misfortune to get caught while doing something against the law( non Politician) should get fined a little extra for room and board.If they have the stupidity to do a crime then they should pay to stay at our HOTEL 6 with their needs being totally furnished.

    • September 22, 2011 by brian hoskins

      make the sorry losers pay plus community time. tired of taxpayers funding these fregan morons. on the prison level they should be made to help build are infrastructure in the usa and save us billions. not sit in prison watching t.v and lifting weights. what b.s. is that. work these criminals now. we pay for one prisoner more than most make in usa working per year. B.S.

    • September 23, 2011 by ted

      I thought jail time WAS punishment for a crime!!! If they're in jail (punishment), why should they be punished AGAIN, at the wil of a judge? If you are going to make someone PAY to be in The Graybar Hotel, you should subtract that pay for staying from the ORIGINAL punishment.

  • March 19, 2011 by De Lunina

    yes for heaven sake we do not need to pay more for lazy dishonest idlers to sit on there rumps and cost us more. Also I am honest and retired do not have the money for people who robe me and then expect me to pay there rent as well. IT is the highest form of injustice

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    • September 10, 2011 by MP

      I think they should be made to pay. Take what they make on the road crews and then charge them once they get out! They shouldn't be allowed to own a pair of socks! I think they should work for the cities cleaning and shoveling snow, etc. and save the cities some money as well.

    • September 10, 2011 by Samuel Rose

      If that's the case how about following the law and give them a fast and speedy trial instead of making the wait months or even years to hear their case.

    • September 18, 2011 by Loniwan

      I have been involved with the Idaho Dept of corrections at 3 different levels; 1; I worked as a corrections deputy for the juvenile justice system. 2: As a parent of an incarcerated youth who has spent 5 years in the state penitentiary 3: as an offender now about to enter the system as a "criminal" for the possession of Marijuana in excess of 3 ounces. I have colon cancer and a chronic back injury that keeps me from holding a normal job and at times makes it difficult to exist.

      I can tell you from experience at all 3 levels that it is not helpful for the incarcerated to sit in Jail knowing that the fees are piling up and that when you get out you will have more crap piled on top of your already massive load of trouble and fees that are levied for court costs, supervision costs, risk assessments, drug testing, any "classes" you may have to attend, child support that continues to accrue and a myriad of other fees fines and such.

      In Idaho if you fail to pay child support they suspend your license which makes it difficult to get around and look for work or commute to work, then they will send you back to prison if you still fail to pay. It is a bit like "ok you can't swim?" "GOOD! We'll put our foot on your neck until you do!"

      I know many will say "so what!?" "If you can't do the time..." But the vast majority of "offenders" are locked up due to crimes around drug and alcohol use or abuse. Which is an indication that they are already teetering.

      Secondly with the way things are going with the patriot law and the focus of our govt. towards "domestic terrorism" you could find yourself on the losing end of a jail sentence, I wonder if you would feel the same if it were you that were locked up and facing those kind of odds?

      To me it would make more sense on many levels to institute some programs that would allow the inmates to do things like work on a "farm" where they would produce the things required to sustain them inside. In addition there could be industry type programs that would allow the inmate to earn points and or cash for necessary items such as toilet paper and soap, shampoo etc. as well as commissary things like coffee and candy and such. These programs would be a privilege to participate in thus an "incentive" towards behaving ones self, while lightening the burden on the tax payer.

      We are making it easier to be a "criminal" and harder to be a "citizen" and it is creating an under class of HUMAN BEINGS that are growing angrier and more sullen and looking more towards criminal behavior to get along in this society. Is this really what you want?

      It is beyond time that we look around and see the people we are punishing are victims of this society and its rules and regs and thus are beginning to perceive this society as its enemy. This is a recipe for civil war and does nothing to alleviate the problem.

  • September 15, 2011 by concerned

    Make them work while they're in jail. I know some places are already doing this and it's a great idea. Why would someone else need to feed these criminals? The law-abiding citizens have to work to feed and shelter ourselves, why can't they?

    One of the reasons we have so many criminals returning in jail anyway is the system make it so easy for them to become freeloaders.

    Reply

    • September 15, 2011 by Terri

      I agree. IMO some people see jail as a free vacation, and I believe many of them deliberately commit ridiculous crimes just to get in jail for the winter.

    • September 15, 2011 by Terri

      I forgot to add: I bet if you gave them bread and water for meals, you'd have alot less people in there.

    • September 16, 2011 by concerned!

      Do you know that 95% of the people in the jail system are HOMELESS! DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE HOMELESS!! When you have to steal just to eat!! Wonder if you are going to make it to the next day! COME ON PEOPLE!!!!!! If we cared more for our homeless then the amount of people in jail would decrease greatly!

    • September 18, 2011 by Scott Kilborn

      Ive done my fair share of time. You cant serve more then a year in a Jail. You can do more then a year but not for a single crime. I can see charging for jail but not prison. The best Hotshot crews who by the way put out wild fires in all our back yards come from prison crews. Prisoners in the U.S are used alot for stuff most of you have no clue about. Road crews, Fire crews, Correctional industries, who make all sorts of products, to name just a few. Ive done jobs while a convict in the system. Ive done forest service work planting seedlings so you all have trees to cut down in the future. I was paid 75 cent an hour by the prison. The prison was paid for each inmate used and did quite well im sure. The U.S has more people in prison then any other country COMBINED. The prison system is going private. Its already traded on the stock Xchange so that means that they make money already. People in the state i did time in were angered that the prison had cable T.V. They assumed that taxpayer payed the bill but this was not the case. Phone calls to family cost alot in prison. The money made from the increased cost of the phonecalls went into the inmate welfare fund. This is the money used to buy the cable, Weights, microwaves, books for the library ect. This money was provided by the inmates family when they paid the phone bill for the super expensive collect phonecall from the prison.

  • September 15, 2011 by Cristin

    Plain and simple. If you can't do the time, which may include paying for expenses while IN jail, then DON'T do the time! If said person wasn't in jail, they would have to be paying for rent, meals and other living expenses. I agree completely.

    Reply

    • September 18, 2011 by Loniwan

      That is because you have no experience in the system and have no idea what it is you are talking about. Your tune would change if you were to find yourself on the other side of the wall.

  • September 19, 2011 by Ian Bruce-Douglas

    Easy answer: instead of sentencing a criminal to life imprisonment, he or she should be executed after only one appeal, 30 days from the end of that second trial. That's why the death penalty should be reinstated and the number of appeals severely limited.

    Reply

• July 24, 2009 by Zenia Buffaloe

  I think making them pay something is a good idea. Like, making them pay if they want to watch tv. If they want to use workout equipment...pay. Anything that is a fun thing....they should pay....everything except the library. Because those things need to be a privilege, not a jailed given right. Heck, if they get desserts with their meals,,,,make them pay for that too! Most American families on average cant afford desserts with meals, so why should their taxes pay for criminals? They were the ones who broke the law! If it was set up so that "on this date forward" that anyone going in as of a certain date had to pay for any and all privileges in jail, more people would hesitate to do a crime and end up in there. I mean, come on. They get free sports club workouts in there and a lot of people can not afford that either.

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  • January 24, 2010 by dorothy cooper

    only those that can afford to pay should pay, most of the iffenders are poor and probably live on the streets and commit minor crimes to get into a jail where tbhey get a roof over there heads 3 meals a day and most of their needs taken care of, many come from large poor families we pay heavily to help families raise their families, in china they are allowed 2 children per family. taxpayers are enraged about the huge taxes they have to pay, .

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    • September 15, 2011 by Terri

      It's true. I am fed up with heartless people without a conscience having large groups of kids.

  • January 31, 2010 by Jamie Loughner

    Your comment show such a lack of understanding of what jail is like that I cant seem to even begin to address it. There is no way to begin this discussion when so many who are comenting dont even know the basics of what jail and prison is really like. Its like you guys are so ignorant of the realities [as opposed to TV jail] that unless you edjucate yourself a bit no real discussion or debate can be leld. So for those with enough of a consionce [or at least some curiosity about what jails REALLY like first read articles like the following- Ladies of Dade. http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/85997/index.php This idea of charging inmates for there stay is already a wrong idea. As to charging for the few 'fun' things like TV - how would you separate those who pay from those who don't? Or desert. Fine- I'll go along with that IF you're suggesting working for privileges - only if the jobs paid the same as they do on the outside[ and the sores should have prices comparable to those on the outside]- otherwise its slavery. [ Which of course to the U.S.13th amendment allows for slavery under the circumstance of imprisonment. I, however, believe that slavery is immoral under any circumstances. And before I get the accusation I always seem to get of being a liberal who doesn't understand why we need to be "tough on crime" for the sake of the victims. I am a libertarian. Also I have been raped - twice. And my daughter was raped when she was 5 years old- and NO ONE has the right to say I don't get an opinion on what we need to do with our societies criminals! ] Anyway- to require that jailed individuals pay for their stay- does that go for only those convicted of a crime? What about those who are found innocent or whose charges are dropped or dismissed due to lack of evidence. As it goes now, they still have to pay in many municipalities, and can be jailed if they don't pay [despite being not guilty of the original crime]- which is completely wrong. Perhaps if they are innocent then the state should automatically pay them! I think that sounds more fair and maybe all those false /improper accusations would stop.

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    • August 8, 2010 by laurie

      I am in total agreement with you, except I'd like to ad the justice system in this country SUCKS, if you are unable to afford a attorney ad have to rely on a public defender you might as well plead guilty,until our justice system is fair for EVERYONE that is charged and all the states have the same penelties for the same offense, there will never be a FAIR justice system, the way it is now YOU ARE GUILTY UNTIL YOU R PROVED INNOCENT........................

  • March 10, 2010 by Marshall Price

    TV? Exercise equipment? Library? Are you kidding? These places are hellholes, not luxury resorts!

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    • April 24, 2010 by Bettye Thornton

      are you kidding? Bay County Jail in Panama City, Florida has a completely newly built facility, with pingpong table, a large flat scfeen plasma TV and a gym for working out daily. While the women are assinged to what used to me the men's side before it was condemned due to black mold, mildew, lead based paint, and any other environmental toxin you can thrink of. If ten new inmates aer booked in on Friday, by Monday they are in the infirmary, where they might has well be at the mission.

      I am on community control (house arrest) and cannot walk to my mailbox without stoping three times to rest. Reckon where I'm gonna run to? But they know they can intimidate an old lady by threatening let her rot in prison.

    • September 10, 2011 by wendy

      My brother was in a county jail in NJ. He liked it. He could be as lazy as he wanted, watched tv and used the exercise room whenever he wanted, said he got 3 good meals a day, and he didn't mind it. He stopped paying his child support and kept getting locked up over and over. I also know of a couple of other people that as soon as they got out of jail, they did something dumb to get back in there. They were my first husband's cousins. They said they liked being in jail. They got 3 squares a day and no worries. So, I don't know the answer but some people do like being in jail.

    • September 15, 2011 by Terri

      That's not what we get from the Media. Now I am seeing a trend where some men are committing outrageous scams to get into the Country Club prison where Madoff is.

  • April 22, 2010 by Gary

    Thats not really true. Around 60% of every small county or city jail is people being detained for possesion of marijuana. This is a trend that statistically holds true all across America. Costs of 7.7 billion dollars are dropped on the average tax-payer a year to keep a crop that makes 35 billion annually in the U.S. illegal. Seems to me that if we re-think where some of our lines are drawn the entire solution could be available. (yes this is a blatant plug for legalizing marijuana)

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    • September 10, 2011 by wendy

      If the government would legalize marijuana and collect tax dollars on it, we would be out of debt in no time...

    • September 18, 2011 by Toni

      The Government isn't going to legalize it for the simple reason they are the biggest pushers on this earth. They want to keep it right where it is, in their pocket.

  • September 10, 2011 by Rick Perry

    All criminals should be publicly beheaded upon conviction. This would guarantee no repeat offenses and confirm that we're now tough on crime, no excuses. All non-Whites and non-Christians have no right to live anyway. Praise Jesus!

    Reply

    • September 10, 2011 by Gary

      You are one sick puppy. Are you for real? I guess you obviously have no formal education other than your sick religious beliefs. All non whites and non believers should be killed. What a viewpoint. I hope the rest of you life is as miserable as your beliefs.

• July 24, 2009 by jay elliott

  I agree that many of the people in jail are lazy and commit crimes because they are addicted to drugs or just not willing to work. But, having volunteered as a tutor in a county jail, I am amazed at the unfairness and extreme injustice that is rampant. For example, more than 80% of the inmates there are non-white; either black or Hispanic. At least 70% of them have less than a high school education. Many of them have all their family behind bars and can't even read. If you were born in an inner-city ghetto, all of your family is either on drugs or drug dealers and you couldn't even read a newspaper, it might seem appealing for you to make $2000-$3000/hrselling drugs. Working at Wal-Mart, they could work a 40/hr week and still not have enough money to pay their bills. I think that we need to work on teaching "life skills", not punishing people for being ignorant. Most of the people that I taught to read were not bad people, they just were never taught the basic skills that the rest of us take for granted.

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  • September 4, 2011 by Suerobb

    We allow women who cannot even identify which of many contacts is the father of the first child to have many more. We lower the standards for minorities because liberals do not think it is fair to demand they perform yet scream that we treat them equally. I agree they need to be taught life skills, but learning to perform in school, urging correct behavior and learning to be a loving parent, spouse and a productive citizen is learned in the family unit which liberals have destroyed with welfare, and agendas that make mom or dad unneeded , unwelcome and a hinderance to more welfare.

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    • September 17, 2011 by Sherry

      Well said and spot on! Liberal policies have created this inner city ghetto and it has expanded well into the suburbs all over the country. Kids are no longer required to do anything in school, can't be disciplined, and can't be held back with they fail. Inmates have the opportunity to take classes and go to school while incarcerated - doesn't matter what color they are. Bottom line, if every one followed Sheriff Joe's model, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

  • September 14, 2011 by sympl1

    why didnt they stay in school then? if they had maybe then their lives wouldnt be so horrible and if they learned that the world doesnt owe them a thing and that slavery is over >move on already. then maybe someone should feel sorry for them

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• July 25, 2009 by Andy H

  I live in Murfreesboro, TN and the Rutherford County jail here charges $20.00 per day of incarceration.

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• July 27, 2009 by Calvinh Boot

  What happens if the perpetrator commits the crime and cannot pay for the time (room & board)? Should they be killed? I feel that criminals are not treated as criminals; check out the new Cook County Resort in Illinois....As an ex-Probation Officer and Parole and Community Service Agent; presently a "baby sitter" / "Teacher", Tax payers cannot exhale; Criminals at State Capitals and Congress pass the Laws that perpetuate criminal behaviors.

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  • September 14, 2011 by John

    This reminds me of a story told many years ago in Mexico. There existed a small village in the southern part of the nation that had the usual jail facilities. The village started growing and soon the jail had 5 to 6 inmates daily. The townfolk were having a hard time collecting money for food and shelter for the inmates, so the town elders decided to do away with the jail and build a one person cell. If a person commited a serious crime, that person was tried and jailed to serve the sentence if found guilty. If another person committed a crime while the first person was still in jail, the first person was taken out of jail and hung. The second person then was put in jail. Before long, there was no crime commited in this town and suppossedly, the jail had been empty for many years. Is this what we need?

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    • September 22, 2011 by Lucky7

      The 1 jail cell : One in and 1 hung does get the point across that crime is not tolerated. I think Sherriff Joe's ideas of getting work done by the inmates and the uncomfortable conditions are working equally well; along with the possibility of future execution:.

• July 28, 2009 by Carol Hobia

  I was locked up for 4 years over $102.00 worth of steaks, Advil and Clearasil. I was a wreck when I got locked up. I can say that getting locked up saved my life, but I paid when I got out. While I was locked up I kept the prison as an electrician. Don't say I only had an apprentice card. I paid for my stay and not everybody has the same work ethic. Maybe we should start working on that one first. When I got out it took me 4 months to get the money for a drivers license. In the meantime I paid for rides, I paid for restitution, and paid to bury my mom. I am still out after 9 years, I am not angry, just scared every time I think I might have to fill out some sort of paper that will ask if I have been convicted of a felony.

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• July 30, 2009 by Pla Baca

  If someone is sentenced to do time, let the time pay for that crime and not every other crime he/she committed in the past. Yes, a lot of people in jail, are undereducated in both and school and in life, but how is someone to get going the correct direction if they have enormous fees, fines, etc. when they are released. Please tell me where the money is suppose to come from? If the inmate is released and doesn't pay, are they put back in jail. Jail is not a social club and if someone believes that they need to spend a couple weeks in a jail. They aren't clean, too many germs, food is close to being trash and the medical care is a joke. I know people in jail paying for their medical care, stamps and letters, dental care, food. If a inmate has money on the books it is taken for medical care, dental, stamped envelopes, restitution, legal fees, etc. So, not all states are totally footing the bill. What needs to be looked at is the cost of the officers that just sit all day and look at inmates through a screen and get paid $60,000, plus for doing that. Anyway, criminals unfortunately, keep a lot of people employed. If 25%. of criminals gave up the revolving door policy, there would be a lot more people unemployed. Jails, are a public service that is suppose to serve us all. How about treating the addicts, make sure they can read and write, obtain an GED, as a condition for release. Everyone in jail is not Charles Manson.

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  • August 8, 2010 by laurie

    Took the words right out of my mouth. Prisons today are all about MONEY they are just HUMAN WAREHOUSE that the state gets rich off..................

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    • September 10, 2010 by mark

      this type of thinking that made a law like this in america is straight out hitlers third reich, mabe they should make the holocaust victums pay for there torture and murder too. totaly insane.

    • September 15, 2011 by Terri

      Too bad we couldn't all start operating as a family, and stop playing all these games.

    • September 23, 2011 by Norma Grant

      I agree but Meat House is more like an explaination (cattle fenced in)How much more money does it take to manage those inmates? Even the ones in prison for 23 months or long termer in Jail, I do beleive that State and Federal monies are supplied for the inmates.Food and toilet paper all else they pay for out of the funds sent to them by their families and friends, Plus they have to do the time,1,5 20. or life and yes our tax dollars. enough is enough, The horror of it all is that the Gov't never can fill their gap of Greed.Be mindful how you Vote. White,Black,Dems or repubs, Don't make the difference The Right one does. GO With Your Gut!!!!!!!

• July 30, 2009 by Greg MEYERS

  We have become a society of SELF. And so are our children. Our kids today are so lost without things (x-box, name brand clothes, etc.) and families struggling to keep up with stuff for themselves and their kids to make them happy we have created a selfish and self centered environment. Let’s try something different. Legalize drugs which will empty the jails and close the probation officers spend the money on education to our children about DRUGS and ALCOHOL abuse which is so rampant (mostly pharmaceutical drugs today) in all the kids under 18 years of age. Stop this incarceration program that funds the sheriff department and probation departments around this country. The problem with this theory is THE COURT SYSTEM WILL HAVE TO FUND THEMSELVES SOMEHOW. That means SPEEDING TICKETS and ENFORCING PAYING YOUR TAXES (your real share of taxes) and PARKING FINES and FINNANCIALY MAKING US RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR KIDS (not the schools and courts) If we as parents and citizens take a little more responsibility for our children and think. The courts have the solution by becoming big business we are out of our minds PUT THE MONEY IN EDUCATION NOT JAILS AND WE WILL NOT BE DISCUSSING THIS PROBLEM.

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  • August 29, 2011 by Deborah Alle

    I agree completely. My son is serving 3 yrs of a mandatory sentence--no gain time allowed, because he is addicted to prescription medication. Not for selling drugs, for being addicted. He was fined $50,000 and his driver's license will be suspended for 2 yrs on the day he is released. The crime had nothing to do with him driving. He has to pay for everything in there. They are given 1 roll of toilet paper to last 3 weeks. Can you do that? They can't even buy it when that runs out. They are fed pellets that are soaked in water to swell up to some sort of something. It's probably soy, but they call it dog food. The prison has a farm, but they don't see the produce on the table that they work to produce. I'm sure it is sold for a profit. He works maintaining lawns, mostly of the prison guards homes. He has to pay for the shoes and clothes he wears. And they do take money from the little I can send him for his room and board as well. He does work there, but they don't get paid for all that work. Even when they are sent to work on county or city crews. The majority of the people in there are there for drugs. While he was in court, 2 men were convicted of molesting children under the age of 5. They were given probation and put back on the street to hunt for more victims. His only victim was himself, and there he sits for 3 yrs and fines that he will never be able to pay. Especially with his license suspended for 2 yrs. I guess they want him to sell drugs to pay the fines, because that is what they set them up for with penalties like that. Legalize the drugs that send most of them there and tax them (marijuana). Go after the drug companies that knew how addictive their miracle pain meds were when they produced them, but hid that info. That is the reason the prisons are overflowing with drug addicts. If they can't afford to pay for the prisoners, stop filling up the jails with people who are there on stupid charges. Reserve it for the ones who should be there, who have actual victims.

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    • September 4, 2011 by Suerobb

      People wo have a public defender are the ones in jail. These defenders are overloaded and do not have the time to build a defense. People with no victims should not be in jail. If you want to destroy your life with drugs, do so as long as you don't steal to support your habit. Since most would kill their mothers to get their next fixes, this wouldn't work.

      This is just like illegals crossing the border knowing they risk deportation then demanding we change the law because they are caught. Do not commit the crime if you cannot face the consequences. BUT denying toilet paper, or food is unacceptable and so is charging someone who has not been convicted.

      But, a person who has a car stolen and the vehicle is found and impounded as evidence has to pay the impound fees. Victimized by the crime and by the legal system. Not fair since they commutes no crime but has to pay for it.

• August 1, 2009 by rebecca mcdonald

  we as american taxpayers pay for every sob story out there. my own family has sob stories and never asked for a hand out or committed crimes to survive... no no no my father worked 3 jobs, my mother 2 and we kids started working at early ages cutting grass, pet setting, pet bathing, pet walking, cleaning homes doing all kinds of odd jobs for the neighbors. yes drugs was everywhere and very tempting but even as a 10 yr old i knew it was wrong. so it does piss me off, that these criminals first make victims then get to lay up on their tails as a reward for making victims. for yall that think we should be leiniate and just keep paying no questions asked then go ahead, but as for me i would much rather see my tax dollars going to prevention while they are young.

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• August 3, 2009 by unknown

  inmates will have to do personal favorites for idems in jail you get my point paying for tolie tuissues they are insane

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• August 3, 2009 by Carol Braden-Williams

  This is totally wrong. It's not as if these inmates checked into a five star hotel. They are there against their will and if you know anyone who's been to jail lately you will probably see the falicy of this thinking. In today's society it's against the law to be poor. Once you face financial hardship it's almost impossible to get out. If you can't afford to pay your car insurance you risk getting a very big ticket that will cost dearly. Of course you won't be able to pay the ticket so they will throw you in jail. While you're in there you will loose whatever employment and income you did have, you won't be able to pay your bills including child support payments which means more jail time. The last thing you need is a bill for being in jail!!! The whole legal system of punishment is really messed up and it doesn't work. It is proven fact that at least 90% of all inmates are addicted to drugs or alcohol which is the reason they committed the crime. Addiction is a recognized desease and without treatment it won't go away. That means that no matter how long we lock them up, when we release these people back into society they will still be suffering from their disease which will most likely cause them to commit another crime. Yes the taxpayer is paying for jailing people. What we need to be doing is treating people. No one is born evil. Every criminal is a human being that has a history of something that caused them to act in a manner that is against the law. We need to be finding out what social disease each of these people have and providing treatment for them. Then, we need to help them re-enter society, find gainful employment and then ask them to pay for part of the medical treatment they recieved. The percentage of people who return to jail is astounding. It doesn't work. It helps no one. Two wrongs have never made a right. You can't take a person who has mistreated another human being and mistreat them and then expect them to be normal when it's over. I can hardly believe that our society has existed this long and we are still treating each other in such a barbaric way. Everyone knows it's not working. Why don't we change it?

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  • September 4, 2011 by Suerobb

    You can lead a horse to water....if they do not want treatment or refuse to work at rehab what choice is there for citizens but incarcerate. Driving while intoxicated, robbing to afford the next fix.....not victimless crimes.

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  • September 18, 2011 by Loniwan

    Because our society is the thing that is sick to begin with. Until we fix ourselves we will never be able to "Fix" someone else.

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• August 11, 2009 by G.M.Krog

  It is an interesting idea. It would have to be refined. At one time Pontiac Prison in IL had a farm, which the inmates worked-an apparently enjoyed. The ACLU took that priviledge away from the inmates, under the belief that they were fighting for the inmates rights. Not everyone would be enabled to pay, and it would be reprehensible to load one with a debt to be carried on after release. Perhaps a plan allowing those who did have the financial means to pay as they stay and those who do not have the financial means could do some work to lessen the cost of housing the inmates. The work program might be beneficial for the inmate upon returning to the outside society.. As we know an idea of this magnitude will take a lot of examination. In general, ion its service it appears to be fine.

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  • September 18, 2011 by mary finnin

    I agree that if the adult inmate has income, such as social security, etc. they should pay for some of the costs while they are in jail. Also, if they had Medicaid or Medicare insurance, the County should be reimbursed for their health care.

    Currently NY State mandates that services be provided, but the County has to pay for it. That is not fair to the law abiding taxpayers, who are suffering from cuts in health and other services because the County is running out of money.

    Reply

    • September 23, 2011 by NG.

      No welfare, S.S or disabilities are given to Inmates, They wish!!!!!!

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