NCJ Number
139502
Journal
American Jails Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (September-October 1992) Pages: 61-62,64-67
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This work release program is designed to allow incarcerated individuals, primarily misdemeanor offenders, to be released from the Work Release Facility of the Bexar County, Texas Adult Detention Center during working hours and return during nonworking hours.
Abstract
The program allows inmates to maintain employment and thus contribute to the support of their families. It is designed to be semifinancially independent. In addition to paying an administrative fee, most inmates sentenced to the program pay rent, thus further reducing the cost of incarceration. From October 1989 through the first quarter of 1992, the program collected almost $600,000 in revenues. The overall goal of the program is to decrease the jail population through incarceration alternatives. Since program inception in 1989, 2,586 offenders have participated, with a successful completion rate of 90 percent. The program represents a cost-effective alternative to incarceration in alleviating overcrowded jail conditions. It is less expensive to supervise an offender in work release than it is to house, feed, clothe, and provide medical attention within the general jail population. The program focuses on finances, but also attempts to rehabilitate inmates by offering weekly drug and alcohol counseling.