DATE: September 13, 2016
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Margaret Mims, Sheriff-Coroner
SUBJECT: Inmate Welfare Fund Annual Report
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Accept annual report of expenditures from the Inmate Welfare Fund for FY 2015-16.
REPORT
The Sheriff-Coroner’s Office has responsibility for the maintenance of the Inmate Welfare Fund (IWF). Revenue for the fund is derived from the sale of commissary items to the inmates, commissions from pay telephones used by the inmates and interest earned on the fund balance. Penal Code section 4025 requires that an itemized report of IWF expenditures be submitted annually to the Board of Supervisors.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
None
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with this action. During FY 2015-16, the IWF generated revenue in the amount of $3,076,240 and expenditures equaled $1,856,321. Available fund balance as of June 30, 2016 was $6,103,703 as shown in Attachment A.
DISCUSSION:
The IWF money earned through commissions on inmate telephone calls, inmate purchase of commissary items and interest earned by the IWF balance is expended by the Sheriff-Coroner primarily for the benefit, education, and welfare of the inmates and may be expended for the maintenance of County jail facilities. Maintenance of County jail facilities may include, but is not limited to the salary and benefits of personnel used in the programs to benefit the inmates. This includes, but is not limited to, education, drug and alcohol treatment, library services, accounting, and other programs deemed appropriate by the Sheriff-Coroner. The inmate welfare funds cannot be used to pay required County expenses of confining inmates in a local detention system, such as meals, clothing, housing, medical services or expenses. However, inmate welfare funds may be used to augment those required County expenses as determined by the Sheriff-Coroner to be in the best interest of inmates. IWF funded programs help prepare inmates for reentry to society. The IWF funds the Sheriff-Coroner’s Inmate Labor Crews. One crew performs graffiti abatement, trains inmates in the use of the painting equipment and also provides a measure of restorative justice to the community.
Programs benefitting the inmates and funded by the IWF include:
Alcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Celebrate Recovery (12 step faith based recovery program)
General Equivalency Diploma (GED)
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Adult Basic Education (ABE)
Life Changing and Bible Studies Program
Religious Services
Parenting
Healthy Relationships
Anger Management
Music Appreciation
Linkage to Community Programs and Resources
Law Library and Recreational Reading Materials
Sheriff-Coroner’s Inmate Labor Work Crews graffiti abatement
An audit of the IWF for FY 2015-16 will be conducted in December 2016. The final report will be submitted and filed with the Audit Committee in February 2017.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #27, August 25, 2015
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A
CAO ANALYST:
Jeannie Z. Figueroa