Title
Accept the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund Annual Report for the Fiscal Year 2015-16.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the Board of Supervisors accept the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund Annual Report for the Fiscal Year 2015-16.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Budget Committee recommended submitting this report to the Board of Supervisors at the meeting held on January 25, 2017.
The Inmate Welfare Fund (IWF) is governed by California Penal Code Section 4025. In part, 4025 PC states:
4025. (a) The sheriff of each county may establish, maintain and operate a store in connection with the county jail and for this purpose may purchase confectionery, tobacco and tobacco users' supplies, postage and writing materials, and toilet articles and supplies and sell these goods, articles, and supplies for cash to inmates in the jail. (b) The sale prices of the articles offered for sale at the store shall be fixed by the sheriff. Any profit shall be deposited in an inmate welfare fund to be kept in the treasury of the county. (c) There shall also be deposited in the inmate welfare fund 10 percent of all gross sales of inmate hobbycraft. (d) There shall be deposited in the inmate welfare fund any money, refund, rebate, or commission received from a telephone company or pay telephone provider when the money, refund, rebate, or commission is attributable to the use of pay telephones which are primarily used by inmates while incarcerated.
In Monterey County, the primary sources of monies generated for the IWF comes from inmate commissary sales and revenues from inmate telephone usage. A recent Federal Communications Committee (FCC) ruling has reduced the allowable fees charged to inmate families for telephone calls. Accordingly, telephone revenues for this fund are expected to decrease in the current fiscal year. However, there will be new services and corresponding revenues available via the new inmate telephone service provider contract that are expected to offset some ...
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