Inmates in Pennsylvania prisons would be required to pay the state for a portion of their room and board under a bill introduced last Wednesday by state Republican Rep. Daryl Metcalfe.
Under the proposal, inmates would pay up to 5 percent of their room and board costs from monies received in work release programs or from other outside sources.
"We are always looking at ways to save taxpayers money and put some of the responsibility on the person who's causing the cost," Metcalfe said in a telephone interview.
The representative said he had no figures available yet on how much it could save the state, or on how much room and board costs for a Pennsylvania inmate, for that matter.
"As it's considered and debated, those will be questions that others will be researching and asking also," he said.
According to documents from the state's Department of Corrections, there were 40,818 inmates in Pennsylvania prisons as of Sept. 30, 2003. The daily cost to maintain a prisoner in 2002 was $80.83, but no breakdown was given specifically for room and board.
A number of states have assessed fees on inmates for specific services, but only a few -- such as Virginia, which charges prisoners $1 a day -- charge fees for room and board, said Joe Weedon, a legislative liaison for the American Corrections Association.
"In an era where budgets are tight and currently shrinking, states are looking for ways to offset the cost to the taxpayer," he said.
Under the proposed Pennsylvania legislation, the charges to inmates could be waived if there were extensive financial burdens incurred due to spousal or dependent support, or other outstanding debts.