Tulsa County Jail - Who pays?

[CoffeeBean]

The current City/County contract regarding municipal inmates is set to expire.  Under the existing contract, the County held City inmates at no charge in return for use of the old municipal facility as holding space.  

Under the new contract proposed by the County, the City would pay $54.13 per inmate per day.  The proposed contract also changes the definition of "municipal prisoners" from people held on "misdemeanor charges" to people held on "municipal and state or federal" charges.  

The proposed contract is silent regarding use of the holding facility.    

Oklahoma law states:

quote:"Every county, by authority of the board of county commissioners and at the expense of the county, shall have a jail or access to a jail in another county for the safekeeping of prisoners lawfully committed."  See 57 O.S. 41.

I am not aware of any authority obligating the City to maintain a municipal jail facility.  

In 2005, Sheriff Glanz resumed management operation at the Tulsa County Jail after underbidding three other private operators.  

At the time, concern was expressed that Glanz, unlike the private operators, was never legally bound to his bid, and time has proven those concerns were prescient; Glanz has failed to operate the jail within his proposed budget and now the County is seeking a new revenue stream based on the very same arguments that Glanz himself used against the private operators, i.e., the existence of a financial incentive to keep people in jail.  

If Stanley can't run the jail, I say give it back to the private operator.  At least private operators are bound to the contract, City residents are not double-taxed and the private operators assume all liability, legal and medical costs.

[waterboy]

The reality may be that it is simply more expensive to incarcerate prisoners than anyone wants to admit. You left out that the prisoners themselves are also charged fees and usually end up paying for their stay for several years. Thats not money that goes into victims compensation. Perhaps it helps pay the cost of prosecution? Should we then privatize the prosecutors office rather than charge the prisoners? The county and Glanz may be attempting to cover the real costs by jacking around with the contracts and descriptions, but corporate operators simply cut the quality of food, employees and health care to fulfill the contracts. The County looks pretty cheesy but the the whole process isn't pretty.

[Double A]

I told you this would be the issue to watch in 2008. The County is trying to steamroll the City yet again.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by Double A

I told you this would be the issue to watch in 2008. The County is trying to steamroll the City yet again.

So you're psychic. What's your take on how it should be paid for and who runs it?

[CoffeeBean]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

You left out that the prisoners themselves are also charged fees and usually end up paying for their stay for several years.

Do you have any supporting numbers?  Is every arrestee charged a fee?  If charges are dropped, or a person is found not guilty, is the fee refunded?  How much is this fee?  I just don't see this fee being much of a player in deferring the cost of incarceration.        

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

corporate operators simply cut the quality of food, employees and health care to fulfill the contracts.

Not sure what facts you base this on.  I may be wrong, but I think Aramark (private) was the vendor under both CCA and the Sheriff's department.  

Similarly, the Sheriff retained the employment of CCA staff when he resumed operation (primarily because the deputies didn't want the job).  

Finally, the health care has never been provided by the County.  I believe Correctional Medical Services, (based in Colorado?), has the current contract.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by CoffeeBean

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

You left out that the prisoners themselves are also charged fees and usually end up paying for their stay for several years.

Do you have any supporting numbers?  Is every arrestee charged a fee?  If charges are dropped, or a person is found not guilty, is the fee refunded?  How much is this fee?  I just don't see this fee being much of a player in deferring the cost of incarceration.        

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

corporate operators simply cut the quality of food, employees and health care to fulfill the contracts.

Not sure what facts you base this on.  I may be wrong, but I think Aramark (private) was the vendor under both CCA and the Sheriff's department.  

Similarly, the Sheriff retained the employment of CCA staff when he resumed operation (primarily because the deputies didn't want the job).  

Finally, the health care has never been provided by the County.  I believe Correctional Medical Services, (based in Colorado?), has the current contract.

Investigate yourself. Personal experience with those who have been part of the system should give you all the answers you need. Or go to the county courthouse and watch as people line up to pay their fees in monthly installments. Each fine is determined by the judge. I doubt there is a regular fee scale and of course if you're found innocent you don't pay them, just your lawyer. Common knowledge among those in the system that the fees help pay the upkeep of the system. Court costs. Taxpayers don't want to know or pay for the real costs of prosecution and incarceration.

My nephew is an employee at the jail. One of those guys who has to deal directly with really bad people. He confided some info to me about the current status. I visited a friend who spent time there. Quite an education for me. I brought him money to buy food and smokes as the quality/quantity was quite bad. You even have to pay for phone usage at inflated rates. I was treated rudely and with total disregard for the fact I was not a criminal as well. That was under the private management, Avalon I think. Aramark does food service. His fee if I remember was around $1200 for drunk & disorderly and attempted burglary (he lost his keys and thought he was going through the window of a friends house). He was allowed to pay it out over 12 months. Pay for play.

My friend relayed to me the story of an illegal immigrant prisoner he got to know there. The man had been arrested after paying for the chance to get work here. The Tulsa company fired him after a week of work and suddenly he was on the streets of a strange town with no money and no support net. He stole food from a grocery store and was apprehended and jailed. Charged court costs which he had no way of paying. Why incarcerate him? Because the contract allowed for payment per inmate and not based on their ability to pay. We paid for him.

Then pull up past newspaper articles and read about the treatment of prisoners. One died due to medical problems that were ignored, quite painfully too. Does it matter the health care was contracted out? Ruptured appendix if I remember. Or the prisoners roughed up by poorly trained bully jailers.

Talk to those who work in the system. Don't for a minute believe that it is anything but a business for either party Or that private corrections companies would do a better job in a more cost efficient manner than the county. The whole system stinks.

[CoffeeBean]

I appreciate the insight, and it sounds like your experience with the jail has been less than positive - regardless of the operator.  

Which brings me back to the original question - who should pay for operation of the Tulsa County Jail?

State law says the County pays -

The County wants the City to pay -

Everyone wants the inmate to pay -

Does anyone believe it appropriate for the County to charge the City $54.13 per inmate per day?  

[RecycleMichael]

There is a hotel on Admiral next to a Pancho's restaurant. You could have private rooms and an all-you-can-eat buffet for less than that.

And you get sopapillas.

[Townsend]

This is another way to go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio


Joseph M. Arpaio (born June 14, 1932 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States) is a law enforcement officer and the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.

Arpaio has been called "America's Toughest Sheriff" for his controversial approach to operating the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, mainly in regard to his treatment of inmates. He has a large number of vocal supporters for his toughness on crime and criminals. Many civil libertarians denounce him for what they believe to be a willingness to ignore constitutional rights in favor of blind enforcement. Arpaio has stated that his goal is to have the most populated jail in the country.



Arpaio believes that inmates should be treated as harshly as legally possible to emphasize the punishment aspect of their incarceration. Thus, upon his initial election, Arpaio began instituting the controversial changes for which he would later become noted.

Arpaio began to serve inmates surplus food (mainly outdated and oxidized green bologna)[1] and limited meals to twice daily. Meal costs would be reduced to 90 cents per day; as of 2007 Arpaio states that he has managed to reduce costs to 30 cents per day. Certain food items were banned from the county jail, mainly coffee (which also reduced "coffee attacks" on guards), but later salt and pepper were removed from the jail (at a purported taxpayer savings of $20,000/year).

Arpaio banned smoking in the county jail. He also removed pornographic magazines (the ban was later upheld in court) and weightlifting equipment. Entertainment was limited to G-rated movies; the cable TV system (mandated by court order) was severely blocked by Arpaio to limit viewing to those stations Arpaio deems to be "educational", mainly Animal Planet, Disney Channel, The Weather Channel, A&E, CNN, and the local government access channel.

Arpaio also instituted a program for inmates to study while in jail and to try to recover from drug abuse. Hard Knocks High lays claim as the only approved high school program in any American jail. Another jail program, called ALPHA, is aimed solely at getting inmates away from drug abuse.

In October 2005, Arpaio started mandatory two-week English classes for non-English-speaking inmates at his jails. Classes last two hours a day. The curriculum comprises the three branches of government, how a bill becomes law, state government, law enforcement and court services, and jailhouse "situational" terminology. At the end of the two-week course, inmates are required to take a test to see how well they have learned about American government, the words to God Bless America, and the communication of health and safety needs. In response to critics, Arpaio responded, "These inmates happen to be incarcerated in the United States of America and in Maricopa County where I run the jails. We speak English here, not foreign languages."

In February 2007, Arpaio instituted an in-house radio station, KJOE, which broadcasts classical music, opera, Frank Sinatra hits, obscenity-free patriotic music, and educational programming, from the basement of the county jail. The station airs four hours each day, five days a week. In March of 2007, the Maricopa County Jail hosted "Inmate Idol"[2], a takeoff on the popular TV show.