The Star Tribune is reporting that, Minneapolis wants new deal for prisoner jail fees.
How exorbitant are these fees? The county now charges a $75 processing fee for prisoners booked at the jail, plus an hourly fee for time in jail that amounts to $103.44 per day.
Well, before the City cries too much in it's beer lets look at how the MPD does business. Years ago the jail had a "city side" run by the MPD and a "county side" run by us. The city thought it too costly to run a lock-up so we took over their "side" for a fee. Over the years MPD has bitched about the booking fees and has even from time to time opened a booking unit of their own to book and release low level offenders. They always close it. Apparently it is still more cost effective for us to book their misdemeanors then them.
I have a couple of suggestions on how the city can reduce it's jail fees.
1. Rather then keeping all PC's for 36 hours, RPC non-violent ones. This will save them the $103.44 per day housing fee. (How many of these get released 36 hours expired anyways?)
2. Write more citations for misdemeanors rather then booking them.
3. We go back to releasing all non-violent misdemeanors NBR.
I suspect this will not sit well with them though. Part of their overall plan is neighborhood livability. They pick up a neighborhood nuisance, drop him off at the jail on Friday and he sits all weekend unable to raise his $50 bail. The neighborhood gets rid of a nuisance and the MPD is happy as well. So apparently the city wants these guys off of the street, they just don't want to pay for it.
Hey Minneapolis, there are no free rides.
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4 comments:
This is a strange point of view. I think Henn. Co needs to read state law concerning its jail, and who is in charge of taking in the county’s criminals.
1. You talk about how PC’s should be released. Lets look how a PC arrest is made. The officer first must believe there is enough evidence to support his arrest. Then he must contact a supervisor, and have them agree with their decision. With PC your not just talking about someone that is driving after revocation, you talking about a FELONY crime. Would YOU like to be a victim of that PC Felony crime and have the person released just hours later?
2. You talk about writing more citations. Have you ever worked the street? According to MN state law Rule 6 there are reasons a person needs to be booked. Years ago we booked all misdemeanor crime. Often time criminals don’t follow society’s rules and jail is the only option that officers have to resolve the situation. Would YOU want to live in the community were livability issues exist and the only thing an officer will do is write a citation?
3. You talk about letting people go. You need to look at the issue why they were first arrested. It goes back to the whole reason why they were not cited and released. Officers working the street are empowered to make the decision to book or write a citation. It should not be jail’s staff position to release a person a officer believes should be there. Would YOU want that person returning to your neighborhood/house to once again commit crime?
I don’t think Minneapolis is asking for a free ride. They are asking for a fair shake, and to have Henn. Co. follow state law. I imagine with MPLS booking these people allows jail staff to keep their job. If people were released on PC, people cited, and misdemeanor crimes that were booked became NBR would there be less need for jail staff?
Lets talk a real look at the situation. These people are criminals and they need to be booked in jail and held there if possible. The whole metro area reaps the benefits of having these people in jail.
Anonymous, you said, Lets talk a real look at the situation. These people are criminals and they need to be booked in jail and held there if possible. The whole metro area reaps the benefits of having these people in jail.
I agree 100%! My commentary is based on the City's historical relationship with the County. In the past the city had it's own lock up. In many larger cities the PD's have their own lock-up. Chicago, NY, etc. A trespasser doesn't go to Rikers Island.
I believe criminals and neighborhood nusances belong off of the street. But someone has to pay and if the county is performing a service for Minneapolis that used to be done by them it's going to cost them a little more.
We also provide a judicial hearing for them on weekends and holidays that allows their PC's to remain locked up, by State Law getting that review is the responsibilty of the arresting agency.
I understand the city wanting to reduce costs, however we give them an awful lot of bang for their buck.
My suggestions were not meant to say that's how things should be done, but rather a way for them to reduce costs if that's a bigger priorty for them.
After speaking with a chief of police in our county in a small city...He informed me that they pay almost double what mpd pays to book inmates. Yet MPD is looking for a better deal. He also said that other counties do not charge cities for each inmate booked in. Just my 2cents
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