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| Orangeburg County looks at alternatives for non-violent offenders |
| By PHIL SARATA,, T&D Staff Writer The Times and Democrat, thetandd.com |
| Published: 04/28/2011 |
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Orangeburg County is looking for a cheaper way to deal with non-violent offenders. "We are going to meet with the magistrates and family court to look at alternatives for non-violent offenders rather than sending them to jail," Orangeburg County Senior Deputy Administrator for Administrative Services Tim Maybank. "From the time they come into the jail, we have to outfit and feed them, and provide for their medical care. It's quite expensive," he said. "This could take into consideration things like weekend confinement, home confinement with electronic monitoring and community service." Off-site management costs for an inmate could be borne by the individual, Maybank said. The savings could go beyond the $42 per-day cost of housing an inmate at the Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Detention Center. Orangeburg County Councilman Willie B. Owens has called for a "chain gang" or a form of inmate work program. He said it would save the county money and help deter crime. First Judicial Circuit Family Court Judge Anne Gue Jones supports some form of Owens' proposal. "I would love to see those incarcerated out on a county work detail but that is something the county would have to set up," Jones said. "The county still has to have a program to which they can be sentenced." State law allows courts to sentence nonviolent offenders to community correction facilities approved by the state Department of Corrections. A form of alternative sentencing, offenders can be required to make restitution and participate in substance abuse, education and mental health counseling programs. The S.C. Supreme Court requires alternative sentencing programs be approved by solicitors. First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe said he is willing to listen to any good ideas. "Any way I can help out, I will," Pascoe said. "We already work with the detention center to prioritize cases and move them along to trial. "Some of these inmates are incurring medical bills. The jail has called our office and asked if we can expedite those cases if those bills are mounting. (They) need to be commended for doing that." Orangeburg County Chief Magistrate Cecil Moore Jr. said magistrates are interested in helping the county cut incarceration costs and will listen to any proposal "that we are legally allowed to do." Pascoe noted Charleston County is using house arrest. Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center also operates its own electronic monitoring program. Director Simon Major Jr. said the program includes sentenced inmates and those awaiting trial. "This is different from a GPS-based system that constantly monitors the inmate's location," Major said. "Our system, which monitors curfew times that can be set on an individual case basis, is less costly. "The inmate pays $45 a week for the monitoring. Our normal inmate cost per day is $55. We average 7-10 percent of inmates on house arrest." Click here to Read More. |
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