Cities and counties collect fees for nearly every service provided, so why not jails? It is a form of service provided to inmates – between room, board, maintenance, and staffing – that cost comes out to $142.42 per inmate, per day. And if one county supervisor has his way, that cost will be passed along to the guests of the county’s jails.

The population of the Riverside County jail system is 25% white-collar criminals, which could be able to pay for the incarceration. That means that the county could recoup up to $5 million per year. If the prisoner is unwilling or unable to pay, the county would place a lien against their property or wages.

The bill for the time in jail would be prioritized after fines, fees, and victim restitution.

From the Los Angeles Times:

>Riverside County supervisors voted this week to move forward with an ordinance that would force jail inmates to reimburse the county for the costs of incarcerating them.

The supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to consider the measure introduced by Supervisor Jeff Stone. It will come back for a vote next week.

Stone, who referred to the jails as “prison hotels” during the meeting, listed the average daily cost of incarceration as $142.42 per inmate.

Read the full article here.