Title
Receive the Inmate Welfare Fund Annual Report for the Fiscal Year 2016-17.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors receive the Inmate Welfare Fund Annual Report for the Fiscal Year 2016-17.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The report was reviewed by the Budget Committee on January 31, 2018.
The Inmate Welfare Fund (IWF) is governed by California Penal Code (PC) Section 4025. In part, PC 4025 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 confectionary, 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 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 and tablet usage. The revenues from inmate telephones has decreased since a Federal Communications Committee (FCC) ruling came out last year that lowered and capped the rates that could be charged for inmate telephone usage. However, the Sheriff’s Office has recouped some of those lost monies by working with our new inmate telephone provider, Telmate, to offer video visitation and tablets for inmate usage. The drop in revenue has been offset by a decrease in expenditures as well.
Pursuant to section 4025(e) of the California Penal Code, the money and property deposited in the inmate welfare fund shall be expended by the sheriff primarily for the benefit, education, and welfare of the inmates confined within the jail. And funds that are not needed for the welfare of the inmates may be expended for the maintenance of county facilities. Maintenance of county jail facilities may include, but is not limited to, education, drug and alcohol treatment, welfare, library, accounting, and other programs deemed appropriate by the Sheriff. An itemized report of the expenditures shall be submitted annually to the board of supervisors.
Currently, the Sheriff’s Office IWF pays for a contract for religious services, jail reentry services, plus the salary and benefits of staff assigned to inmate programs. The staff assigned to inmate programs and funded by the IWF are one Senior Inmate Service Specialist, and four Inmate Service Specialists. The personnel assigned to inmate programs are responsible for developing the job skills of sentenced inmates, coordinating the work of inmate crews, and providing training, direction, guidance, and feedback on work completed. The Programs Sergeant whose cost is funded by the AB109 program is the liaison for the academic education, life skills education, drug and alcohol program and for coordinating all volunteers within the custody facilities. There has been an increase in the number of inmates participating in the journaling program which is a self-guided journaling program sponsored by the Change Company. The programs unit purchased additional video programming courses for the inmates to utilize. This allowed the Sheriff’s Office to provide programming to problematic inmate populations without jeopardizing the safety of the inmates and staff. In addition, the IWF funded bus passes for those inmates being released from custody with no transportation back to their community. Funds from the IWF were used to purchase religious study materials for the inmates to use as requested.
The Inmate Welfare Fund Committee is comprised of the Corrections Operations Bureau Chief Deputy, Facility Captain, Program Services Commander, and four citizens of the community appointed by the Sheriff.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrative Office has reviewed the report.
FINANCING:
There is no General Fund Contribution as a result of this recommendation. All inmate welfare income sources are deposited into the IWF. Inmate welfare expenditures are reconciled at the end of the fiscal year and offset by transferring an equivalent amount from the IWF to the General Fund.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This report meets the Board’s strategic initiatives by providing accountability and transparency in managing inmates’ fund.
Mark a check to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives
Economic Development
X Administration
Health & Human Services
Infrastructure
Public Safety
Prepared by: Jim Bass, Captain, extension 3887
Approved by: Steve Bernal, Sheriff-Coroner
Attachment: Fiscal Year 2016-17 Annual Financial Report