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 Sheriff’s 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. 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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The Inmate Welfare Trust Fund generates revenues from two main sources. These are Inmate Commissary sales and Inmate Telephone Commission from Global Tel*Link, the current Inmate Telephone Service provider.
Total gross revenue in FY2008-09 was $2,249,369. This includes commissary sales, including prepaid calling cards, of $1,540,402, and revenues from telephone commissions and other sources of $708,967.
The total disbursements were $2,521,367, which includes cost of goods sold of $766,238, operating expenses of $446,134, and other disbursements of $1,308,995. This was $271,998 over the available revenue for the year. This year end operating shortfall was subtracted from the beginning fund balance of $801,920, for a closing fund balance of $529,922 as of June 30, 2009.
The Inmate Welfare Trust Fund is used to pay for a variety of in-custody support and post-release services for inmates and the operation of the inmate library system. The fund also pays for the purchase of items that are used for and by the inmates for recreation and self-development, such as televisions and stand-alone computers. These items are placed in the day rooms and housing units throughout the Sheriff's correctional facilities.
In the current fiscal year we have noticed a decline in revenue due to a change in inmate spending habits. Considering that this will have a negative impact on the Inmate Welfare Fund, we have sent out early notices to program providers informing them that future awards will likely be reduced by up to 25% for the upcoming 2010/2011 fiscal year.
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A committee consisting of the Assistant Sheriff, the Captain of the Sheriff’s Corrections 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 Office annual budget, and is fully offset by commissary fund transfers.
The fund is audited annually by the County Controllers Office Audit Division.
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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