Pinellas County Jail sentences have caused significant overcrowding and created burdensome conditions for both inmates and the Sheriff's Department staff. But that situation has apparently changed. The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that the jail now has approximately 700 empty beds. County administrators are not complaining. That's because last year the Pinellas County Jail spent over 120 million dollars to house inmates. Given these tough economic times, government "bean counters" are welcoming any form of fiscal savings.
But don't attribute the recent decline of inmates to a drop in the crime rate. Likewise, don't be misled into thinking that our local judges have suddenly stopped imposing incarcerative sentences. You can also discount the theory that many prisoners awaiting trial have suddenly had a stroke of fortune that has enabled them to post a bond to secure their release. Rather, look to the huge number of inmates who were formerly housed within the general jail population, despite an illness or significant mental health diagnosis.
Coincidently, last year, the Pinellas County Jail opened a new 432 bed medical facility and a jail "annex" with an additional 256 beds. Our arithmetic tells us that this total amount of new inmate accommodations comes awfully close to the present 658 bed vacancy found in the main jail facility.
But Sheriff Jim Coats isn't letting the empty beds lie idle. Negotiations are currently going on to lease 400 county jail bed spaces to the Florida Department of Corrections who intends to use the facility to house low risk State Prison inmates with approximately only 18 months left of their sentence to serve.
Such a deal could prove lucrative for Pinellas County residents since the jail currently collects 2.9 million dollars per year for housing what we calculate to be 100 federal prisoners already in their care and custody. Sources say the county netted most of that amount last year from this smaller arrangement.
Pinellas County authorities continue to look for ways to open bed space. Clearly, it is more profitable to lease out their bed space to the federal government, rather then to incur the cost themselves of housing Pinellas County inmates. An example of a program designed to reduce the inmate population is the Pinellas County Jail Work Release Program. Under PCSO Policy 19.12 Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputies are authorized to supervise jail sentences through an "electronic monitoring work release program." In essence, a person sentenced to serve a Pinellas County jail sentence can fulfill the obligation from the comfort of his own home. See also Pinellas Circuit Court Administrative Order 2007-032 PI-CIR.
Our County and Circuit Judges have additional methods of imposing a punitive sentence that likewise provides relief to the already overburdened taxpayers. These include "The Parks Program," "Comprehensive Probation," "House Arrest (Community Control) and "Community Service" obligations.
Our office makes every effort to help our clients avoid incarceration in the Pinellas County Jail. Bringing these sentencing alternatives to the attention of the judge and touting their cost-saving attributes can be effective. A proactive approach in pre-qualifying a client for an alternative sentencing program, along with the proper presentation of mitigating factors, can often enable our client to maintain his current employment while serving his sentence outside of the Pinellas County Jail facility.
If you or a family member is facing a DUI or criminal charge in Pinellas County, and you are concerned about the possibility of a jail sentence, we are lawyers who can help. Call our office at (727) 578-0303 to schedule a free consultation.
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Click here if you need the assistance of an experienced St. Petersburg / Clearwater Criminal Defense & DUI lawyer - we are attorneys who can help.Click here to learn possible solutions to your Pinellas County Criminal or DUI charge.
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