An interesting twist on incarceration

[Willowbilly3]

One of my nephews had a tough time with life, won't go into the pyscho babble but he was in and out of trouble since his teens. He ended up doing some time over forging checks and got sent back in a couple more times for parole violation. Now he is trying to get squared away. He keeps a job, has married a nice gal and a baby on the way. Last week he got a bill from the state for $10,000. $55 a day for the time he was in jail. I never heard of such a thing.

 

[21willys]

Interesting. Seams a little high but I like the idea within reason.

 

[Crossfire]

jail ain't free ride

Thats how the State of Florida gets alot of their money. Lock someone up,charge so much a day. Let them out ,if they can't pay,put them on probation and charge more. Just a number on the list. The county jails get so much money from the state for each day a person is in jail. Thats why they let people out at 12;01 so they can collect for another day. Its been turned into a rackett and not prosecuting criminals.

 

[GJunktionMike]

Never hear of this

I had guys that worked under me that were in programs were their paychecks whent straigth to the state to pay for their fines, nightly lock up, food and not what, they got a little change in their pocket and the rest went into an account that was returned to them when they were released, but the programs were up front about this.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Somehow that is unsettling. Not saying I disagree with the idea, but it seems it might be a good thing if everyone were aware of it. Everybody seems to know the cost of a DUI, so I don't see why average Joe shouldn't be aware of this charge also - unless the state is trying to get over on the population.

It's kinda hard to feel bad for a guy, after the fact, when you had to pay their room and board through tax because they were a screw up.

 

[Dirtyrat]

Hate to say it, but I kinda agree with them paying for their stay....

 

[sgtpontiac]

Well got one better.....

My daughter ran up a 55,000 bill in the Macomb county Juvenile home for her 9 month stay there ....... then over 10,000 dollars for her stay at the Macomb County Jail prior to her conviction for Armed robbery.....she works at the prison to pay off her stay there....
Interestingly enough.....being adopted...the state paid us 745 dollars a month in asssistance for her emotional issues and special services she needed due to her birth parents. ...... between the psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, and therapists it cost me more than the 745 each month for that....then the regular food, clothing and all other expenses.....when you foster children the DHS lies to you about the kids backgrounds just to get them placed...you fall in love with the kids and you truly believe that with God's help you can fix their problems and give them a normal life....but some problems cannot be fixed per se.....I love my daughter as my own....but no amount of love, med's or therapy can fix the damage a bad parent inflicts on their children....until that child recognizes they have a problem, they won't control their impulses and such.....they just don't....I should write a book about our foster parenting and the adoption system...it's amazing how screw up a kid can get .....you feel helpless

 

[bob w]

I saw a show a few years ago about a couple who adopted a fetal alcohol infant. It went through the child's young adult years. No amount of love or money could solve the problems. A very depressing show.

Sarge, my heart goes out to you.

 

[Willowbilly3]

Hate to say it, but I kinda agree with them paying for their stay....

I don't disagree, BUT, it shouldn't be popped on you unexpected a year after you get out, should be right up front at the sentencing. also 55 is a small percentage of the daily cost of incarceration. I'd be interested to know what those privately ran penitentiaries get per day when a state sends overflow to them.
Also, if they have to pay, why not be working it out of them while they are locked up, or give them a choice to.

 

[Crossfire]

cost.

Heck in Florida when the judge asks you if you can afford an attorney and you can't they appoint you a public defender,then win or lose. they throw an automatic $ 500 public defender bill on you.

 

[GJunktionMike]

In FY 2010-11, the average cost-per-day to house a TDOC inmate (including those housed at privately managed facilities) was $64.83. The cost to house a death row inmate was $94.74. This was from Tennessee DOC web site and this is about average per state.

In 2011 there were 2,019,234 inmates (prisons only) $32,000,000,000.00 (rounded) was spent for the prison systems (chump change) = $43.00 per day

From 1980 to 2008, the number of people incarcerated in America quadrupled-from roughly 500,000 to 2.3 million people
Today, the US is 5% of the World population and has 25% of world prisoners.
Combining the number of people in prison and jail with those under parole or probation supervision, 1 in ever y 31 adults, or 3.2 percent of the population is under some form of correctional control

 

[donsrods]

I recently heard that it costs about $30,000 a year to house an inmate while incarcerated. I guess that covers the guards, the jail, food, etc. A friend of my Son's is doing time for an accident he had with injuries and he just recently got on supervised house release but he has to hold down a job, which he is doing. Half of his salary goes back to the State to pay for the costs of keeping him while in jail and on the house release.

With everything tightening up moneywise I can understand why the States are doing this..........if you do the crime you pay for it in more ways than just losing your freedom.

Don

 

[gold03]

Canadians spend 4 Billion $ on inmates. We have 13,000 of them. Do the math

I understand the argument about paying for your time served. However it can lead to the perpetuation of crime and poverty on a generational basis. How many ex cons end up committing crime to pay the bill? How many of their kids don't get an education?

Prison shouldn't turn men into monsters. A man who does time for cheque and then receives a bill for $10000 is likely looking for a better system to forge a cheque.

Just my thoughts.

Gold03

 

[Willowbilly3]

In FY 2010-11, the average cost-per-day to house a TDOC inmate (including those housed at privately managed facilities) was $64.83. The cost to house a death row inmate was $94.74. This was from Tennessee DOC web site and this is about average per state.

In 2011 there were 2,019,234 inmates (prisons only) $32,000,000,000.00 (rounded) was spent for the prison systems (chump change) = $43.00 per day

From 1980 to 2008, the number of people incarcerated in America quadrupled-from roughly 500,000 to 2.3 million people
Today, the US is 5% of the World population and has 25% of world prisoners.
Combining the number of people in prison and jail with those under parole or probation supervision, 1 in ever y 31 adults, or 3.2 percent of the population is under some form of correctional control

64 bucks a day? That can't be the total cost. Even 30,000 per year seems light. It costs 2-3 times that to put an old person in a low end assisted living, seems like incarceration would cost at least as much as pushing pills down a dieing old person.

 

[Willowbilly3]

I recently heard that it costs about $30,000 a year to house an inmate while incarcerated. I guess that covers the guards, the jail, food, etc. A friend of my Son's is doing time for an accident he had with injuries and he just recently got on supervised house release but he has to hold down a job, which he is doing. Half of his salary goes back to the State to pay for the costs of keeping him while in jail and on the house release.

With everything tightening up moneywise I can understand why the States are doing this..........if you do the crime you pay for it in more ways than just losing your freedom.

Don

My nephew did his time on work release. They got his wages and gave him $8 a day.

 

[BigIrish]

I agree that these charges shouldn't be a surprise. I wonder if no one ever explained it to him, or he just didn't pay attention? Maybe a combo of both.

I DO agree with them needing to pay something, provided they are provided with a means of doing to so (aka given a job). Working while doing time should be mandatory. All kinds of benefits to the inmate and the state, plus I'm sure it makes the time go faster and cuts down on various problems due to "idle hands".

 

[GJunktionMike]

64 bucks a day? That can't be the total cost. Even 30,000 per year seems light. It costs 2-3 times that to put an old person in a low end assisted living, seems like incarceration would cost at least as much as pushing pills down a dieing old person.

That is just direct costs. Add in medical and other indirect costs. Some watch dogs claim that $124.00 a day ($45,000.00 a year) is what is really spent.

I know alot of guys over the years at did the work release program. I have seen this happen with the work release guys. Some forgot that their fines come out first then any classes, and housing last. If a guy does't have a high dollar job most leave with a bill.

 

[Torch]

Robert Elliott Burns

He was born in Palisades, New Jersey, and served in World War I as a medic. Upon his return from Europe, he was unable to recover the wage he was earning in his job and became a drifter, which is how he eventually ended up in Atlanta, Georgia in 1922. Burns was convicted of joining two other men in the armed robbery of a grocery store, which netted the trio $5.81 and got Burns sentenced to 6 to 10 years of hard labor.

Burns escaped from the chain gang with the help of another inmate who struck his restraints with a sledgehammer, bending and weakening them. He was able to escape the eyes of the guards on the pretense of a two-minute bathroom break in the trees. After evading capture, Burns made his way to Chicago, where he eventually became the editor and publisher of Greater Chicago Magazine. During his stay in Chicago, he became involved with a Spanish woman named Emily del Phino Pacheo, from whom he rented a room. Eventually he married her when she threatened to betray him to the local police.

Seven years later, he sought a divorce in order to marry Lillian Salo, whom he professed to love. Del Phino Pacheo had made an agreement with him, but the same day she betrayed him to the authorities. Owing to his status in the community, many people helped him fight extradition to Georgia, but he surprised everyone by agreeing to return to Georgia, basing his decision on a verbal promise from state prison officials that he would serve no more than 90 days of "easy" time.

Burns returned to Georgia in July 1929 to finish his prison term. He soon realized that his 45 to 90 days had turned into at least 12 months of hard labor. They had tortured him even more than before. He served a brief stint in Campbell County, where he was, according to his book, treated "intelligently and fairly". Burns later implied he was denied the promised parole after 45 days and had his term lengthened because he did not have $500 with which to pay off the parole board. After several failed attempts at parole, on September 4, 1930, Burns again escaped. He had waited until he had earned enough of the guards' trust that he could obtain the privilege of not being chained. He then paid off a local farmer with money he had received from his brother in Newark and headed to New Jersey.

Burns could not duplicate his Chicago success in New Jersey because of the Great Depression and took on odd jobs around New Jersey for a few years, all the while writing his autobiography. Burns was rearrested in Newark late in 1932, but the governor of New Jersey refused to extradite him since his book and a movie had been released and public opinion was firmly against the idea. The governor of Georgia pardoned him in 1945, and Burns lived as a free man until his death from cancer in 1955. His book and the movie are largely credited with the abolition of the chain gang system in the South.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Canadians spend 4 Billion $ on inmates. We have 13,000 of them. Do the math

Gold03

If I ever had to serve time, I'd ask to be sent to Canada!

$43/day or whatever # they come up with probably ignores a lot of things, like the original cost of building the prison, etc. Kinda like $1500 rat rod build.

 

[sgtpontiac]

I find that most offenders can't pay so they don't....

Canadians spend 4 Billion $ on inmates. We have 13,000 of them. Do the math

I understand the argument about paying for your time served. However it can lead to the perpetuation of crime and poverty on a generational basis. How many ex cons end up committing crime to pay the bill? How many of their kids don't get an education?

Prison shouldn't turn men into monsters. A man who does time for cheque and then receives a bill for $10000 is likely looking for a better system to forge a cheque.

Just my thoughts.

Gold03

so they get caught again, more jail time fines and costs, can't pay it, go to jail and then when out, lost job, can't work, can't pay fines and costs, get picked up for contempt of court or whatever the charge is there and back in jail....vicious cycle....bottom line, don't do anything wrong, won't have these problems...commit a crime and the cycle begins.....it's crazy...but it's the way it works....I have a thousands examples of this type of cycle.....