The Inmate Welfare Trust Fund has been set up under California Penal Code §4025, which provides that the Sheriff may operate a commissary in the jail, and that profits shall be deposited into an Inmate Welfare Fund. Section 4025 also provides that refund, rebate, or commission received from a telephone company for inmates’ use of telephones shall be deposited into the Inmate Welfare Fund. The fund may only be used primarily for the benefit, education, and welfare of the inmates, and maintenance of county jail facilities, which 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. Section 4025 further specifies that an itemized report of disbursements must be submitted annually to the Board of Supervisors. Also included in this report is a summary of income.
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Revenue
The department generates revenues from two main sources. These are from Inmate Commissary sales and Inmate Telephone Commission. Securus Technologies (formerly Evercom Systems, Inc) currently provides the inmate telephone service. Total revenues in FY2005-06 were $2,224,250. This includes commissary sales, including prepaid calling cards, of $1,345,145, and revenues from telephone commissions and other sources of $879,105.
In the Spring of 2004, pre-paid calling cards were introduced, as an alternative to previous collect-call-only communications. Since then, there has been a steady increase in calling card use. Prepaid calling cards enable the inmates and their families to better budget and manage their telephone bills. Pre-paid calling cards also allow inmates to make calls to telephones that previously were not possible, such as to cell phones and to some international numbers (such as Mexico and Central America.) This helps inmates keep in touch with their families locally and long-distance. Total commission revenues to the Fund from inmate telephone services amount to just below $800,000 annually, from both collect and pre-paid calls.
The other major revenue generation is from commissary sales to the inmates. Consistent with state law and regulations, the inmate commissary is operated for the purpose of providing various personal items, authorized non-prescription medicines in limited dosages, and foodstuffs to the inmates. All medication dispensed through the commissary is first approved by the medical unit staff. The County dietitian and the facility Commanders or their designees also review other foodstuffs, before being offered for sale to the inmates. The commissary is operated from an automated computer system which maintains individual inmates account balances and keeps a running balance and transaction history of all transactions for the inmate.
The commissary employs five full time staff, and they provide commissary service at least twice a week to approximately 1300 inmates. The Sheriff's Fiscal Unit also provides fiscal and administrative support for this operation.
Expenses and Disbursements
Total expenses and disbursements for the year were $2,138,595. This includes $711,031 in cost of goods sold at the commissary, $1,071,664 in disbursements including contracted services, and $355,900 in other operating expenses.
The Inmate Welfare Trust Fund contracts with the Mental Health and Public Health Divisions of San Mateo County Health Services to provide a chemical dependency recovery and substance abuse program (CHOICES), as well as a Mental Health inmate counseling program. These services are available to all inmates in County Correctional Facilities. The Fund also contracts with the County Superintendent of Schools for operation of a GED certificate program for the inmates. A library is also maintained in the facility for the inmates. This is contracted with the Service League, which also provides a variety of in-custody support and post-release services for inmates.
The Fund also pays for the purchase of some items that are used for and by the inmates for recreation and self-development, such as televisions and stand-alone computers, which are placed in the day rooms and housing units throughout the Sheriff's Correctional Facilities.
Fund Balance
In summary, the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund brought in total revenues of $2,224,250 and spent $2,138,595 in FY 2005-06, for a balance of $85,655. This current year balance was added to the beginning fund balance of $690,116, for a closing fund balance of $775,771 as of June 30, 2006.
New Telephone Provider RFP
In this current fiscal year Sheriff’s Office will be undertaking a major project on behalf of the Inmate Welfare Fund. The inmate telephone service contract with Securus Technologies, Inc. expires October 2007. A project plan has been developed, with a timeline to issue a Request for Proposal from potential Inmate Phone Service Providers by early Spring, 2007. As with the previous contract process, RFP evaluation participants will include the Sheriff’s Office, Information Services, Inmate Welfare Fund Oversight Committee, and the County Manager’s Office, with assistance from County Counsel. Once a new telephone provider is selected, a proposed new Agreement will be brought to your Board for approval.
Administrative & Fiscal Impact.
A committee consisting of the Assistant Sheriff, the Captain of the Sheriff’s Detention Division and a Community Representative oversees the Inmate Welfare Trust Fund operation. The committee approves yearly fund requests from the service providers and the facilities. The committee also makes recommendations for award of contracts, most of which (because of the dollar amount) come before the Board of Supervisors for approval. The personnel budget for the inmate commissary positions is contained within the Sheriff's annual budget, and is fully offset by commissary fund transfers.
The fund is audited annually by the County Controllers Office Audit Division. This audit schedule was once mandated under State law; now it is permissive, however, we have chosen to continue an annual audit to ensure that the highest fiduciary standards are maintained.
There is no Net County Cost to the County's General Fund for the operation of the Inmate Welfare Fund Trust.
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