Benton Co. wants former jail inmates to pay up
KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) - Hundreds of former jail inmates owe the Benton County Sheriff's Office money for costs they amassed while behind bars, and authorities are trying to collect.
The sheriff's office recently sent out nearly 1,800 bills to collect more than $1 million in outstanding debts.
The Tri City Herald says the action isn't unprecedented but did prompt some complaints from recipients.
Spokeswoman Julie Thompson says the department is trying to recoup money the county spent on inmate charges such as nurse visits, prescription costs and property damage.
She says the department is hoping to contract with a collection agency to help collect the debts.
The sheriff's office recently sent out nearly 1,800 bills to collect more than $1 million in outstanding debts.
The Tri City Herald says the action isn't unprecedented but did prompt some complaints from recipients.
Spokeswoman Julie Thompson says the department is trying to recoup money the county spent on inmate charges such as nurse visits, prescription costs and property damage.
She says the department is hoping to contract with a collection agency to help collect the debts.
Did I just read "Hundreds of former jail inmates owe the Benton County Sheriff's Office money for costs they amassed while behind bars, and authorities are trying to collect." -LOL
Finally something that makes sense. Even if they aren't able to collect it it's nice that they are at least making an effort. Perhaps it's time to quit with the free ride for so many people.
whatever happened to "pay or stay"?
Guess this is what they mean when they say pay your debt to society.
Arrest them and have them work the farms where the illegals work.
Umm...Do they really think a former inmate will be able to afford to them back? The most they might get back, is a slip of paper saying IOU $$$ fat chance getting it.
 @R. Not all inmates are poor and cant afford anything. Some may have been in there on a no bond for a period of time, and once a bond was set, they are out. Â
 @Just my say I'm sure that not all of them are poor. But if push comes to shove, those people have to pay, for a roof over their head, or possibly drugs. That would be the inmates priority rather than paying the court back.
Why did Benton County, not collect these debts before the inmates were released? They had already displayed their disregard for our laws. Why would they be trusted with a promissory note?
 @DTMD How would the inmate have the money in the jail to pay the debt? Plus guess how full the jail would be if everyone went to jail for not paying a bill. You go to jail for a crime not because you did not pay a bill. Â
 @Just my say But in an earlier post, You wrote," Not all inmates are poor, and can't afford anything". How about a lean against something they own? Maybe that would be incentive to pay. Just a thought. I respect your thought as well, but in this case, they owe money for services while incarcerated. Not while on the outside.
 @DTMD A lean against something they own would probably work if it is only in that person name. On high bail bonds, I know something has to be put up and I really don't see any issues with getting a lean. The problem would be inmates saying they have nothing in their name, or they don't know where the tittle is.
@DTMD Because that is against the law.
 @DTMD I am thinking maybe because prisoners can only be kept as long as their original sentence; they are not in jail for not paying their bills...I hope this makes sense, but someone please correct me if I am wrong; this is just my thought.
While it sounds like a good idea from one perspective, chasing released inmates would likely contribute to recidivism. It would make more sense to give them ways to be earning their keep during the sentence. Unions have been an interfering factor in keeping prisons from engaging in profit-making enterprises. We need a new approach to our penal system.
@farmerbear I am ALL FOR making inmates work. In fact, I think making them work and pay for their own incarceration is the best approach for inmate rehabilitation.
Why not start charging all inmates for their time behind bars?
 @Tattooed_Angel Because they will never have a chance to get on their feet and will continue to break laws to survive.
Â
Make them work IN jail
 @Tattooed_Angel A great pathway to recidivism. Take away freedom. Take away income. Put a criminal record in place, then, destroy credit and then wonder why they don't have jobs. I'm not saying they don't belong there but when you saddle someone with huge debts beyond the freedom that is taken as a penalty for crime and the fines potentially imposed for those fines, you end up with people desperate for some sort of income. If they're wages are garnished how do they feed themselves or their families? If one ends up with $200 for a month's work, what incentive do they have to keep working a legit job? Not all people can work under the table and that alone is a crime. Some of those people will do other things (steal, rob, sell drugs) to bolster their incomes so they can actually live. Keep in mind that a lot of people will lose their jobs over even minor offenses.
@Nic Stevens Can you honestly give me a GOOD reason why law-abiding taxpayers should have to pay for a criminal's incarceration? We pay to feed them, house them, and we pay for their supervision. Why shouldn't criminals be responsible for that?
Â
I am all for making inmates actually WORK. Isn't there a prison in Walla Walla? How about using inmates instead of illegals for agricultural positions? The money they make would then go towards restitution (if there is any), fines, and fees associated with them being behind bars. It would then eliminate the need for illegals, who shouldn't be here anyway.
 @Tattooed_Angel  @Nic Prisons do have inmates work, and there are work programs where the inmate holds down a job in the outside world. By doing that the inmate pays up to 1/2 of his check to the prison to work. The inmates on the inside work in the kitchen, laundry room, etc. They make under a dollar an hour. It saves the prison money on not having to hire someone to work it full time. However, no matter what kind of work there is, or how much it earns. Most inmates are there to serve their time and get out. They have girlfriends, boyfriends, friends, or family that put money on their books, and they get by. They all know how to play system, and they all know that a judge sentence them to a certain amount of time, and they can't get anymore time on that unless doing something news worthy. The most trouble they will get into is being put into the hole. If the prison started to make inmates work, inmates will do something to make it look like they are not a low risk for work.Â
 @Tattooed_Angel Thank the ACLU for that ,,, prison work gangs were considered "cruel and unusual punishment".
 @Tattooed_Angel  @Nic because you can't get blood from a turnip