“Pay To Stay” Jail Policy Discussion On Volusia County Council Agenda

DeLand, FL – A proposal up for discussion at Tuesday’s Volusia County Council meeting could lead to prisoners having to pay during their stay behind bars. This is because of a Florida Statute that allows county jails to impose inmate subsistence fees—the cost associated with the feeding, clothing, and sanitary care of inmates—to alleviate the “increasing financial burdens” on counties and cities caused by the expenses of running detention facilities. At the moment, Volusia County does not impose any of these fees on a prisoner despite charging for medical co-pays. Meanwhile, 50 of the other 67 counties in the state, excluding Volusia, charge a daily subsistence fee and/or a one-time administrative booking fee. A survey conducted in 2021 found that the average daily fee charged by agencies that reported fees was $2.60. The lowest reported was $1.50 and the highest was $5. The average booking fee charged was $20, while the lowest was $6 and the highest was $30. A presentation prepared by the county’s Division of Correction Director Mark Flowers shows that his agency is recommending a one-time booking fee of $20 and a daily fee of up to $5. A breakdown of possible revenue the county can earn shows the county could make between $99,414 and $165,690 in a fiscal year if a $15 or $25 booking fee is imposed on prisoners. Meanwhile, if the county were to charge a daily $5 daily subsistence fee, they could rake in over $1.012 million dollars in revenue.  The $5 daily fee alone would make up the cost it takes to feed an inmate for the day, because, according to Flower’s presentation, it currently costs $3.09 a day to feed one inmate—broken down to $1.03 spent per meal. Some worry that fees will be imposed on inmates who come from destitute situations outside of incarceration. The Florida Statute mentioned in this proposal, however, allows fees to be collected based on the “financial status of prisoners for the purpose of paying from their income all or a fair portion of their daily subsistence cost.” On the other hand, inmates who work while in prison may be exempt from fees. News Daytona Beach has reached out to Volusia County District 3 Representative Danny Robins, who supports the “Pay to Stay” policy, for comment. We have also reached out to VCDC Director Mark Flowers for comment. We have yet to hear back from either. The Volusia County Council is slated to meet on Tuesday (Feb. 15).