Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Carlos G. Bolanos, Sheriff
Subject: Annual Report on the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Accept the report on the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund for the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.
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BACKGROUND:
California Penal Code 4025 provides for the administration of an Inmate Welfare Fund (IWF), and requires that an itemized report of IWF activity be submitted annually to the Board of Supervisors. The IWF may only be used primarily for the benefit, education, and welfare of the inmates, and maintenance of correctional facilities. This includes the cost of operating programs to benefit the inmates, including, but not limited to, education, drug and alcohol treatment, welfare, library, accounting, and other programs deemed appropriate by the Sheriff.
California Penal Code 4025 also provides that the Sheriff may operate a commissary in the jails, and that profits shall be deposited into the IWF. Additionally, any refund, rebate, or commission received from a telephone company for inmates’ use of telephones shall also be deposited into the IWF.
An independent financial audit of the Inmate Welfare Fund is completed annually.
DISCUSSION:
The FY 2017-18 Inmate Welfare Trust Fund Report reflects gross revenue of
$2,139,845, and includes commissary sales, prepaid calling cards, and revenues from telephone commissions and other sources. Disbursements total $1,448,780, and includes the cost of goods sold, operating and other expenses. The difference between revenue and expenditures was $691,065. This year-end operating surplus was added
to the beginning fund balance, for a closing fund balance of $1,270,703, as of June 30,
2018.
The IWF is used to pay for a variety of in-custody programs and rehabilitative support services. The Inmate Welfare Trust Fund Committee, formed by the Sheriff’s Office, is responsible for safeguarding the funds, controlling expenditures, and approving the annual budget.
County Counsel has approved the resolution as to form.
This report contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Safe Neighborhood by supporting inmate programs and services to prepare inmates for reentry to our communities.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2017-18 Actual |
FY 2018-19 Projected |
|
Number of inmates assessed for the GED Program |
166 |
152 |
|
Number of inmates participating in Project Read literacy services |
665 |
700 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with accepting the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund report.