As the weather turns warm and the economy continues to sputter, many Americans are wondering if they can afford to get away for a few days this summer. Budget conscious travelers might want to put aside dreams of a tropical getaway in favor of something a bit more affordable. How does $60 a night, meals included, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest sound? Well if you get arrested in Springfield, Ore., you might not have much of a choice.
According to the Portland Oregonian, the Springfield City Council recently approved a plan that would charge Lane County Jail inmates $60 per night for the proverbial "three hots and a cot." City Council President Dave Ralston told the Oregonian that the plan could bring in up to $18,000 a year in revenue for the brand new $2.5 million jail. This may not sound like much, but Ralston is quick to point out that in tough economic times every little bit helps.
"It's really a drop in the bucket in comparison with the total cost of operating the jail," Ralston said. "But anything is better than nothing. We wanted to show our constituents that we are trying to be responsible."
The measure, which passed by a 4-2 City Council vote, is not the first of its kind in Oregon. In 2003 Klamath County started charging inmates $60 a day, which ultimately didn't offset the $70 a day it typically costs to house an inmate. After a bumpy beginning however Klamath County now takes in about $40,000 a year in revenue from charging inmates. "It's made a difference budgetarily," Klamath County Sheriff Tom Evinger told The Oregonian. "As far as making a difference as a deterrent to crime, I think that is difficult to measure. Philosophically, it's the right thing to do for the taxpayers to let those offenders contribute."
Douglas County in Oregon had been charging inmates $60 a day since 2002 but recently cut the fee to $20 a day. "We found we are actually collecting more money charging at a lower rate," Deputy Dwes Hutson told The Oregonian. "Maybe a bill for $300 or $400 is easier to swallow than a bill for $800 or $1,000."
The Springfield City Council didn't pass the resolution without any strings attached however. The issue of charging inmates will be revisited in six months to gauge the program's effectiveness. "If this is something that within a certain period of time looks like it's not working out, I see no point in wasting our time if it's not cost-effective," Mayor Sid Leikin told The Register-Guard of Eugene.
You can count Councilor Joe Pishioneri, who voted against the plan, among the skeptics. "There's a reason many institutions don't charge the housing fee, because it's just not worth it," Pishioneri told the Register-Guard. Asked about the inmate-charging plan Klamath County has been practicing since 2003, Springfield City Attorney Matt Cox told the Register-Guard that "in a good month, they break even." That kind of best case scenario probably isn't what Leikin and Pishioneri are looking for.
Those for and against the inmate charging plan seem to break down among two distinct groups. Opponents like Pishioneri seem to be skeptical about the plan's ultimate effectiveness in terms of both cost and crime fighting potential, while supporters like Ralston claim that it helps send the message that "it doesn't pay to commit crimes in Springfield." While Ralston's sentiment is admirable, if the death penalty has been proven to not deter crime, then a $60 a night bill probably isn't going to prevent much of anything. With even Ralston describing the plan's ultimate impact as "a drop in the bucket," the skeptics may be proven right at the end of the day. Then again, things are rarely what they seem in Springfield.
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