Brief Description: Changing limits on costs of incarceration charged to offenders.

Sponsors: Senator Fairley.

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections
House Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections

Background: Under current law, felony offenders can be ordered to pay for the cost of incarceration at a rate of $50 per day if the court determines that the offender has the means to pay. In Department of Corrections facilities, cost of incarceration is deducted from earnings from prison work and from any outside funds the offender receives. Misdemeanor offenders can be required to pay up to $50 per day for costs of incarceration.

Summary: If the court determines that an offender has the means to pay, the court may order the offender to pay costs of incarceration of $50 per day if confined in a prison or the actual cost of incarceration up to $100 per day if confined in a county jail. This change applies to both felony and misdemeanor offenders confined in a county jail.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      46   0
House      96   0

Effective: July 24, 2005