NCJ Number
118747
Date Published
1988
Length
92 pages
Annotation
This research project looked at Type I jail revenue programs in small, medium, and large California police departments in order to identify jail revenue programs that are likely to be successful in the future.
Abstract
There are about 80 Type I jails in California, and such facilities generally function as units of city police departments that hold prisoners from the time of arrest until released. California has four types of jail revenue programs: fee-paying sentenced prisoners; Federal prisoner housing agreements; State contracts for constructing and operating city facilities to house parole violators; and agreements to hold prearraignment prisoners from other jurisdictions. In forecasting the future for Type I jail revenue programs, certain trends were identified: more prisoners at every level of the criminal justice system; less ability of jails to obtain money from taxes; more innovative ways of housing prisoners; jail regionalization; and growth of population and population density in California. Critical events that might impact Type I jail revenue programs were also identified, including the establishment of a regional jail authority, an initiative to prohibit early inmate release, the establishment of a Congressional jail committee, the enactment of a State fee-paying prisoner bill, and lack of staff such that most Type I jails are closed. A scenario is proposed in which police department executives and city management will find ways to offset a substantial portion of Type I jail budgets; budget offsets will result from letting jails themselves raise money and not from more tax dollars. Further, emerging technologies may provide substantial revenue possibilities, such as electronic house arrest and regionalization (jail operation to serve multiple jurisdictions). 21 references, 4 tables, 6 figures.