Facing budget crisis, sheriff wants inmates to pay to be locked up

February 9, 2007 (WLS) -- Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is proposing some ideas to generate revenue for the county as it faces a $500 million budget deficit. The sheriff wants criminals to pay to be locked up and to foot the bill for their own medical expenses. It is an idea that is getting some support.

As the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures. Cook County's newly elected sheriff, who is being asked to layoff hundreds of courtroom deputies and police officers, thinks those behind bars could do more to help balance the county's budget deficit.

"Right now on an annual basis, our detainees have over $5 million a year in accounts in the jail," said Tom Dart, Cook County Sheriff.

Dart says tapping inmate accounts at the Cook County Jail makes financial sense and that it is not unfair or illegal to charge inmates a "booking fee" as they are processed into the jail.

"When you come into our facility right now, all of the paperwork and everything that we do that we generate, we would charge people a one time, $15 or $10 fee for that processing," said Dart.

The sheriff is also considering fines for inmates who violate rules, co-payments for prisoners see a jail dentist or doctor, and charging those offered home confinement with electronic monitoring.

"Right now, when you go on electronic monitoring, which means you have the privilege of not being in the jail, you don't pay anything. We are suggesting that people that do that should -- if they can afford it -- they should pay a fee to be out there," Dart said.

Downstate, the much smaller Kankakee County Jail has raised of hundreds of thousands of dollars with booking and bond fees and inmate medical co-pays. The 40 times larger Cook County Jail, with an average of well over 10,000 inmates a day, could be a mother lode for revenue-starved county commissioners.

"If someone is in our jail system, and they have the ability to pay, yes, I think they should pay," said Deborah Sims, Cook County commissioner.

"A lot of those people are never gonna be able to pay, but those that can, and they are guilty, we should collect that money," said Forrest Claypool, Cook County commissioner.

But another said not so fast.

"They are already at the lowest level of the financial poll any way, and I'm certainly concerned that tacking more fees on to their inability to pay may keep them in jail much longer," said Robert Steele, Cook County commissioner.

Newcomer Dart claims he always planned to promote of idea of the jail as a revenue generator. He says the county's current financial crisis just sped up the process.

"When you have the panic call from across the street saying we're gonna eliminate these vital functions of your office unless you come up with revenues, okay, we're just going to continue to explore 'em," said Dart.

Dart's jail plans actually would affect the 2008 budget more than the spending plan at issue right now. He wants most of the money his department generates to remain in county law enforcement as opposed to being used in the general fund.

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