Amy
07-29-2004, 01:05 AM
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12518591&BRD=1377&PAG=461&dept_id=172922&rfi=6
By: Scott TynesJuly 28, 2004
Inmates of the house arrest program in Lincoln County are still being monitored and supervised, despite concerns that the program may have expired July 1.
John Purser, who supervises the Lincoln County Probation and Parole Office, said corrections officers will continue to do their jobs until they receive orders to stop.
"Every indication that I got is that we are to continue normal operations until the legislature does its thing," he said. "We still get reports on (the inmates) every day and supervise them."
Currently, the Lincoln County office is only supervising nine house arrest inmates, he said.
"Usually we run anywhere from 18 to 30," he said. "That will probably pick back up, I guess, once they get this straightened up in the legislature."
The nine inmates in the local program are all non-violent offenders and mostly convicted for bad checks or driving under the influence, Purser said.
A question of whether the house arrest program was reauthorized during the last legislative session is being debated among lawmakers, but all agree the Senate's oversight on approving House Bill 956 has stalled the program's ability to collect the $50 fee inmates in the program are required to pay monthly.
According to Nic Lott, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, there has been some confusion in the public and media about the legislature's mistake.
The house arrest program itself was never in jeopardy, and the bill reapproving it was passed, he said.
Lott said he felt the confusion resulted from two separate house arrest bills being before the legislature for approval, one on the program itself and one on the monthly fee system.
"The only provision that was not voted on is the provision that allows us to collect these monthly fees," Lott said. "There was never any doubt that those under house arrest would be monitored."
House Corrections Committee Chairman Bennett Malone, D-Carthage, disagrees, however.
"There is a legal question," he said. "Some say we have the authority to continue the program, but I believe House Bill 956 is the bill that would have done that. In my opinion, the program does not legally exist right now."
Malone said he has been able to locate another piece of legislation that would have reapproved the program.
"I really don't think that we've got one," he said. "I just don't believe that it exists."
Malone said he has requested Gov. Haley Barbour call a special session to reauthorize the program in its entirety.
"It would take just about an hour to decide this problem," he said. "It's a non-controversial issue."
The governor has resisted calling a special session because he is concerned legislators may try to bring up Medicaid during the session, Malone said.
"I just don't see how that would be possible," he said. "All the research we've done has said there is no way the two can be tied together."
Inmates in the house arrest program pay $50 monthly to stay under intensive supervision, but are allowed to work. Under house arrest, inmates are required to stay at home at all times, except when going to their job, attending school or performing community service, Lott said. They are also responsible for the cost of the electronic monitoring equipment and the repair of that equipment if damaged.
The fee system expired July 1 because House Bill 956 was not passed, he said.
With approximately 1,200 inmates statewide in the program not paying the fees, MDOC is losing approximately $65,000 a month.
"The money goes into the general fund for the department," he said. "I can't say what impact it will have on the budget. This is the first month that it hasn't been collected."
The fees could still be collected for July if the legislature reapproves the program this month, he said.
By: Scott TynesJuly 28, 2004
Inmates of the house arrest program in Lincoln County are still being monitored and supervised, despite concerns that the program may have expired July 1.
John Purser, who supervises the Lincoln County Probation and Parole Office, said corrections officers will continue to do their jobs until they receive orders to stop.
"Every indication that I got is that we are to continue normal operations until the legislature does its thing," he said. "We still get reports on (the inmates) every day and supervise them."
Currently, the Lincoln County office is only supervising nine house arrest inmates, he said.
"Usually we run anywhere from 18 to 30," he said. "That will probably pick back up, I guess, once they get this straightened up in the legislature."
The nine inmates in the local program are all non-violent offenders and mostly convicted for bad checks or driving under the influence, Purser said.
A question of whether the house arrest program was reauthorized during the last legislative session is being debated among lawmakers, but all agree the Senate's oversight on approving House Bill 956 has stalled the program's ability to collect the $50 fee inmates in the program are required to pay monthly.
According to Nic Lott, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, there has been some confusion in the public and media about the legislature's mistake.
The house arrest program itself was never in jeopardy, and the bill reapproving it was passed, he said.
Lott said he felt the confusion resulted from two separate house arrest bills being before the legislature for approval, one on the program itself and one on the monthly fee system.
"The only provision that was not voted on is the provision that allows us to collect these monthly fees," Lott said. "There was never any doubt that those under house arrest would be monitored."
House Corrections Committee Chairman Bennett Malone, D-Carthage, disagrees, however.
"There is a legal question," he said. "Some say we have the authority to continue the program, but I believe House Bill 956 is the bill that would have done that. In my opinion, the program does not legally exist right now."
Malone said he has been able to locate another piece of legislation that would have reapproved the program.
"I really don't think that we've got one," he said. "I just don't believe that it exists."
Malone said he has requested Gov. Haley Barbour call a special session to reauthorize the program in its entirety.
"It would take just about an hour to decide this problem," he said. "It's a non-controversial issue."
The governor has resisted calling a special session because he is concerned legislators may try to bring up Medicaid during the session, Malone said.
"I just don't see how that would be possible," he said. "All the research we've done has said there is no way the two can be tied together."
Inmates in the house arrest program pay $50 monthly to stay under intensive supervision, but are allowed to work. Under house arrest, inmates are required to stay at home at all times, except when going to their job, attending school or performing community service, Lott said. They are also responsible for the cost of the electronic monitoring equipment and the repair of that equipment if damaged.
The fee system expired July 1 because House Bill 956 was not passed, he said.
With approximately 1,200 inmates statewide in the program not paying the fees, MDOC is losing approximately $65,000 a month.
"The money goes into the general fund for the department," he said. "I can't say what impact it will have on the budget. This is the first month that it hasn't been collected."
The fees could still be collected for July if the legislature reapproves the program this month, he said.