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:
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Accept the report on the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund for the period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
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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 commission from sales of commissary items wholly funds the IWF and 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. In September 2018, the Sheriff's Office entered into a contract with Keefe Commissary Network, LLC for the provision of commissary services in Maguire Correctional Facility and Maple Street Correctional Center.
The FY 2019-20 Inmate Welfare Trust Fund Report reflects gross revenue of $737,526, and includes commission from commissary sales through Keefe Commi...
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