It is estimated that the proposal, if accepted by the King County Council, will generate approximately $318,000 — based upon and estimated $369,856 of new revenue minus the estimated cost of $51,630 to implement the new fee – that could be used to cover jail expenditures, and add one staff person to inmate booking. State law allows counties to assess a fee up to $100 to individuals when they are booked into jail, however councilmember Larry Gossett believes that this is the wrong way to solve the County’s budget problems. According to Gossett, the largest population groups in the jail are the poor, the mentally ill, the homeless, drug addicts, and alcoholics; and the average person coming into the King County jail has $5.36 on them at the time. “This is a horrible public policy strategy to solve our budget problem,” said Gosset. “Charging people money that they cannot possibly afford to pay because they find themselves being booked in the King County Jail.” “This is not the first time that the County has tried to get blood out of a turnip,” added Gossett. “Chris Vance put together and ordinance to charge people in jail $50 a day, so this has been tried before. It’s ridiculous to have people in jail pay for their stay like it’s a hotel.” Critics of the ordinance don’t believe that it will generate the estimated revenue that the County is banking on, and believe that the ordinance is preying upon people who don’t have the resources to pay additional fees. Ninety-five percent of people booked in the King County Jail are eligible for public defense, and if history is any indication the County can hardly be expected that this booking fee will come close to generating the desired effect on the County’s budget. When asked whether or not he thought that the County would raise the type of money estimated by the proposal Gossett said, “I doubt it very seriously. Right now we have 103,000 outstanding legal financial obligations (LFO’s – fees that have been imposed on people that have come into King County Jail that they are supposed to pay).” According to Gossett, these uncollected LFO’s account for over $333 million already owed to the County, some of which date back 30 – 40 years. However, in its proposal the County has made provisions to help them collect as much of the booking fee as possible from people locked up in King County Jail. Under the proposal, collection will take place at the time of booking based on the inmate’s available resources (money on-hand). Additionally, the County will keep fifty percent of any money given to inmates by family and friends to make purchases from the commissary, known as putting money on the books, during their incarceration until the fee has been fully paid. “We’re going to take the money of their relatives and friends and use it to pay the booking costs,” said Gossett. “If they send them $50 the County will keep $25 that people are sending them to buy [toiletries and of necessary items] in the jail. They (the County) will take $75 of the money that comes in for support of individual prisoners.” “This is a draconian piece of legislation and I’m confident that a majority of my colleagues will support me in removing it from our 2005 budget,” added Gossett. It is estimated that 35 – 40 percent of the people booked into King County Jail are never found guilty of crimes and are released. However, according to the proposed ordinance all inmates are charged the $75 booking fee at the time of their booking, and in the case an inmate is not charged, acquitted, or has their charges dismissed, the booking fee will be returned after they send in a letter asking for their money back. For inmates who do not pay off the booking fee in its entirety while incarcerated, the county will not pursue other avenues of collecting the money.as suggested that it will generate $319,000 that could be used to cover jail expenditures.. and that it would generate enough to gerneat one staff… to staf the inmate booking..If it were to pass… we would nto raist $Right now we have 103,00 outstanding legal financial obligations Or LFO’s are fees that have been imposed on people that have come into king county jail that they are supposed to pay…. It goes back maybe 30 or 40 years…Right now ower us $333,330,000…. Every year we’re charing them 12 percetn interest… even the ones that are payingThe people in jail are too poor to pay any debt inmposed upon them by the king county criminal justice system.. it adds insult that these The way that’s it’s presented….. Weds. 9 – 12 at the King county chambers….If they people can’t pay… 95 percent of the people who come to king county jail are elegible for public defense….. …. ….. Between 35 – 40 percent of the people booked in jale are never found guilty of the crims and are released…. And they would have had to pay… but if they send a letter and ask for their money back.. they can get
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