Municipalities and law enforcement agencies are going to have to start paying Hinds County to house their prisoners come October 1. They were not charged for such costs prior to the adoption of the new policy.
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors approved the new charges on a unanimous vote on October 5. The motion passed states:UPON A motion of Robert Graham and a second by Anthony Smith, Deborah Butler Dixon voting aye, Wanda Evers voting aye, Bobby McGowan voting aye, it was RESOLVED to approve charging Municipalities and Agencies for Housing Inmates, effective October 1, 2024.
Board attorney Tony Gaylor notified the municipalities and agencies of the new policy in an August 26 email:
On Monday, August 5, 2024, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted to charge the various agencies and municipalities that send their detainees to the detention centers in Raymond and the Hinds County Juvenile Justice Center on McDowell Road in Jackson. Currently, there are approximately twenty-four agencies and municipalities that send their detainees to be housed in Hinds County. That has led to thousands of detainees to be housed in Hinds County annually. The cost of housing these detainees is over $3,600,000 per year in medical costs alone. As such, these entities will be charged $50.00 per day from their first day of being housed at the detention centers until they are indicted by a grand jury. The charge is inclusive of many of the costs associated with housing detainees in our detention centers. However, The arresting agency or municipality will be responsible for any medical bills incurred outside of the facility (i.e. hospital visits and required specialized treatments). The charges will begin on October 1, 2024. The entities will be billed on January 1 and July 1 of each year going forward. We understand that this new policy will bring additional pressure to our justice center to process detainees to indictment. It will also require municipalities and agencies to use their best judgment with regard to having their pre-indictment detainees housed at Hinds County facilities prior to the convening of grand juries. However, it is a necessary policy as Hinds County can no longer bear the cost of detainees alone. We continue to hope that our justice system in Hinds County will work optimally to process the individuals detained in our detention centers. If you have any questions, feel free to contact President Robert Graham or the Board Attorney's office.
Other counties have similar policies. The Madison County Sheriff charges Madison County law enforcement agencies and cities $22 per day. Entities outside of Madison County pay $50 per day. Rankin County charges $25 if the agency us in the county. However, the county picks up the tab after the defendant is bound over to the grand jury, not upon indictment as will be the new policy in Hinds County. One Sheriff said it is standard practice in most counties to charge law enforcement agencies for housing inmates.
Hinds County District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham said all of the surrounding counties have been charging law enforcement agencies for housing inmates for quite some time. The annual costs were over $3 million a year for inmate medical care and $2 million for food. "Ancillary costs were eating us alive, over a million dollars a year. We are spending several million dollars a year on prisoners who are presumed innocent who have not been indicted," said the supervisor. The annual budget for Hinds County detention facilities is $10.6 million in the current fiscal year.
Mr. Graham said the new policy has been on several agendas and that Hinds County notified those affected. Hinds County will bill agencies and municipalities in January and July.
11 comments:
Sounds like a prodding to the Hinds County judiciary to speed up due process.
Perhaps the COJ will have to start collecting delinquent water bills to cover this new expense - and leave Thalia Mara Hall as is.
JPD arrest rate just plummeted.
Its not too late. Get out of Jackson as fast as you can.
The taxpayers of Hinds County pay taxes that go into the County budget to support our County facilities including the jail. Why have we been allowing other entities to house inmates in our jail for free? And why in the hell it’s a problem now?
Stay with me I’m going to paint a picture! I pick a friend up every morning for work no cost! He hasn’t paid me in 30 years! Now I’ve decided to change him $22 dollars a day for the 120 mile round trip.What was I thinking the last 30 years?
Do we really pick the best and the brightest Supervisor’s to serve the citizens of Hinds County. From my recollection I do think some entities pay to house their inmates in Our facilities!
Sounds like a good idea and long overdue. Maybe some of the $$ can be used to continue the farm program and the farm stand on HW 18. I miss their vine ripened tomatoes and field peas.
@11:09, Jackson originated property tax receipts that HindsCo desperately relies upon are following the same trajectory. $18,250 annually per arrestee? Its all exponential now.
Is there going to be a menu selection while being housed in HC like hospitals give your. Is there a per diem with higher cost for prisoners ranging from misdemeanor to felony like travel form request used in state agencies? lol
This is going to result in far less bookings and possibly a new JPD policy where all misdemeanor charges become RORs. Crime will increase exponentially because Jackson doesn't have the funds to house any prisoners. They don't have the funds for many city departments as it is. Felony bonds will be $5,000-$10,000 and those catch and release animals will be on the street before the next meal.
Most municipalities have been getting charged from the jail. The big change is for how long. The old way was from when a defendant had a preliminary hearing. That was usually within 10 days of being arrested. Now, it's going to be until they are indicted by a Grand Jury. Now you are talking about potentially MONTHS of paying for prisoners before the Sheriff's departments pick up the tab.
@ 11:16 that wont ever happen. The Highway 18 facility has been repurposed.
Hello 11:48. I totally agree. They also used to make a very good pepper sauce named Serving Time. Once they won The gumbo cook-off that used to be held in Smith Park. I remember the inmates going up to accept the prize under the watchful eyes of trustees holding shotguns.
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