Senator Kruse has introduced SB 261 which would require costs of incarceration at county jails to be assessed against convicts who are imprisoned at the jails. Currently it’s optional with the counties as to whether they would like to adopt an ordinance providing for the collection of jail costs. (The fiscal impact statement (pdf) provides a nice explanation of how the bill changes the status quo.)

I have mixed feelings on this one. Theoretically, making wrongdoers pay for the cost of their wrongdoing, including costs of incarceration, is a good thing. But imposing another financial burden on folks who are already on the edge might push them over. Collection is another issue. Currently in Tippecanoe County, we are pursuing a huge number of unpaid Community Corrections fees (fees for being on probation, house arrest, etc.) You collect what you can, but often the money simply isn’t there. And while, technically it might be an option under their sentence, the reality is that throwing them back in jail for non-payment is rarely a cost-effective solution.