Prisoners will soon have to fund their stay in prison
223 replies, posted
[release]RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A one-night stay in this city’s finest hotel costs $190, complete with sumptuous sheets and a gourmet restaurant. Soon, a twin metal bunk at the county jail, with meals served on plastic trays, will run $142.42.
With already crowded jails filling quickly and an $80 million shortfall in the budget, Riverside County officials are increasingly desperate to find every source of revenue they can. So last month, the County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a plan to charge inmates for their stay, reimbursing the county for food, clothing and health care.
Prisoners with no assets will not have to pay, but the county has the ability to garnish wages and place liens on homes under the ordinance, which goes into effect this week.
As the county supervisor who pressed for the ordinance, Jeff Stone, likes to put it: “You do the crime, you will serve the time, and now you will also pay the dime.”
While a few other local governments have tried similar ideas, Riverside is by far the largest to enact what many call a “pay to stay” plan. Mr. Stone estimates that about 25 percent of the county’s prisoners would be able to pay something and that the county could collect as much as $6 million a year.
But the county attorney cautioned that the move was unlikely to bring in significant revenue, because many inmates were destitute and because convicts would be expected to pay restitution and other fines first.
Like all counties in California, Riverside is in the midst of accepting a new influx of inmates who would have normally gone to state prison. Faced with an order from the Supreme Court to shed 30,000 prisoners from state prisons over the next two years, the Legislature approved a plan to shift thousands of prisoners to local jails.
Many local leaders and law enforcement officials are skeptical of the plan and say the state is unlikely to cover the counties’ costs for the new inmates. In many counties, including Riverside, the jails are already near capacity, and officials worry about being forced to release some inmates before their sentences are complete.
Under California law, counties are allowed to collect money as a condition of probation, but only after a judge determines that the inmate can afford to pay. And counties are the last in line to get money from a convict.
A similar plan has been floated in Kern County, north of Los Angeles. But the sheriff there, Donny Youngblood, has opposed the idea, saying it could cost more than it would bring in.
“I’m not against it, believe me. I think in a perfect world, if all of them could pay, I would be in favor of it,” Sheriff Youngblood said. “It’s not so much that I am concerned about the fairness, although there is an aspect of that. It’s simply not a road I think is worth going down right now.”
But, he added, “If it’s successful, there will certainly be others who follow, because we are all looking for more money.” [/release]
[url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/us/in-riverside-california-a-plan-to-charge-inmates.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss]Source[/url]
So, first we put them to work and pay shit wages in prisons, then we don't give them proper care or enough food, don't forget charging prisoner's families extortionate amounts just to talk on the phone, and now this.
Please tell me im not the only one who realizes how horrible an idea this is.
Time to start up a Prison Insurance company and make bare dollar
What happens if they don't pay? They go to jail? Kicked out?
At first I thought it was all of California but it's just 1 county.
Don't you just love what the privatization of Corrections has done to our system?
Knowing this sort of shit, there will be no sort of system in place if a decision is overturned and a prisoner wants a refund. Also standards wont rise in prisons, some dickhead will just pocket that money.
So if they don't pay, they go to jail. And if they don't pay to stay in jail, they go to jail. And if they don't pay to stay in jail for not paying to stay in jail, then they go to jail.
[QUOTE=Seiteki;33693637]What happens if they don't pay? They go to jail? Kicked out?[/QUOTE]
Based on the article, nothing. If you have the money they take it though.
[QUOTE=Seiteki;33693637]What happens if they don't pay? They go to jail? Kicked out?[/QUOTE]
they are executed
[QUOTE=Mattk50;33693679]Based on the article, nothing. If you have the money they take it though.[/QUOTE]
This is stupid.
[QUOTE=Seiteki;33693637]What happens if they don't pay? They go to jail? Kicked out?[/QUOTE]
They'll make a special prison within the prison where the unpaying prisoners will go to be prison prisoners.
[QUOTE=Seiteki;33693637]What happens if they don't pay? They go to jail? Kicked out?[/QUOTE]
They must go to some kind of super jail or something, where stuff is even worse then the last.
[QUOTE=Mattk50;33693679]Based on the article, nothing. If you have the money they take it though.[/QUOTE]
No point in working then.
[QUOTE=Seiteki;33693637]What happens if they don't pay? They go to jail? Kicked out?[/QUOTE]
Maybe worse punishment
Why shouldn't we do this? They committed a crime, forfeited any and all rights they had under the US Constitution, and the taxpayer is forced to pay for them to get to lay around, watch TV, get a degree, exercise at their leisure, and get three meals a day. I, for one, think this is a good idea. Actually, the jail in AZ with the pink jumpsuits, PB&J all day, and tents is a lot better. There it's about $0.86 to keep a prisoner for a day.
I think it is good because I personaly do not like knowing that my tax money is paying for covicted felons to live.
[I]Pay the fine AND serve your sentence.[/I]
[QUOTE=rosar0980;33693727]Why shouldn't we do this? They committed a crime, forfeited any and all rights they had under the US Constitution, and the taxpayer is forced to pay for them to get to lay around, watch TV, get a degree, exercise at their leisure, and get three meals a day. I, for one, think this is a good idea. Actually, the jail in AZ with the pink jumpsuits, PB&J all day, and tents is a lot better. There it's about $0.86 to keep a prisoner for a day.[/QUOTE]
They might be in for low level crime or welfare fraud because they're poor as shit. Forcing them into debt isn't going to help their lives improve or stop them from committing more crimes.
Wow, so not only do you lose years of your life spent in prison, but the state makes sure you're financially ruined for the rest of your miserable life once you finally get out.
Aren't privatized prisons great?
[QUOTE=jgerm529;33693761]I think it is good because I personaly do not like knowing that my tax money is paying for covicted felons to live.[/QUOTE]
You're an idiot.
To be honest, this is probably one of the better ideas they have had.
They honestly are a huge money drain for a government, we all know they wont get rid of the inmates so this should at least help lessen the drain a bit.
It's pretty damn sad that it results to this, most people who are involved in crime are the ones who are financially unstable anyway.
I guess it does further deter going to prison, though.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;33693799]Wow, so not only do you lose years of your life spent in prison, but the state makes sure you're financially ruined for the rest of your miserable life once you finally get out.
Aren't privatized prisons great?[/QUOTE]
There's been a hell of a lot of fraud in private prisons where they try and keep inmates in as long as possible to milk them for every dollar. Even if the inmates aren't paying, what funding they're getting from government, work the prisoner completes, etc is worth depriving them of their freedom.
For example: [url]http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2011/08/11/former-judge-in-alleged-cash-for-kids-scheme-due-to-be-sentenced/[/url]
It was apparently worth paying that dickhead roughly $1 million for him to give teenagers ridiculously harsh sentences.
[QUOTE=Uber|nooB;33693706]They'll make a special prison within the prison where the unpaying prisoners will go to be prison prisoners.[/QUOTE]
Do they also have to pay?
...Prisonception?
[quote=Jeff Stone]“You do the crime, you will serve the time, and now you will also pay the dime.”[/quote]
heh
[QUOTE=Second-gear-of-mgear;33693827]To be honest, this is probably one of the better ideas they have had.
They honestly are a huge money drain for a government, we all know they wont get rid of the inmates so this should at least help lessen the drain a bit.[/QUOTE]
It wouldn't be a money drain if they didn't lock people up for ludicrous reasons
[QUOTE=jgerm529;33693761]I think it is good because I personaly do not like knowing that my tax money is paying for covicted felons to live.[/QUOTE]
And how old are you?
Would someone please post a source or at least sum up the facts regarding prisons; either privatized or public?
[QUOTE=AJisAwesome15;33693812]You're an idiot.[/QUOTE]
Why? Because I have a hard enough time making a living for myself and I have a problem with my tax money goes to giving criminals a warm place to sleep, food on their plate, and clothing to wear?
[editline]12th December 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=Seiteki;33693865]And how old are you?[/QUOTE]
18
[QUOTE=valkery;33693875]Would someone please post a source or at least sum up the facts regarding prisons; either privatized or public?[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1147355?p=33693845&viewfull=1#post33693845[/url]
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