The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday asked for more information about how much the county should pay the Contra Costa Superior Court to compensate for the recent suspension of local criminal justice fees.
These administrative fees have been imposed in the past on people who have been in jail or have otherwise gone through the local justice system, to cover administrative costs of their time in the system.
Such fee relief has been under discussion for at least two years.
In September, Contra Costa County supervisors voted to impose a moratorium on collecting these fees. The moratorium only applies to certain administrative fees, and not to fines or to bail payments.
County staff has determined the “vast majority” of those who would pay criminal-justice fees are poor, and that about 70 percent of those in Contra Costa jails are people of color. The fees, they said, place an undue
burden on both those groups, the county has determined. Also, the jailed people’s families are usually the ones who bear the burden of these fees.
Supervisor John Gioia said wiping out those fees is designed to help get former inmates back on their feet more quickly.
“It’s affecting their ability to move ahead with their lives successfully,” he said.
And further, according to county staff, the benefit to the county from collecting these fees is outweighed by the cost of imposing them, especially given that they often are never paid and cannot be collected.
The supervisors say they want to reimburse the Contra Costa Superior Court for the cost of those uncollected fees, estimated by the court to be approximately $63,750. But County Administrator David Twa told the supervisors Tuesday that figure could well be $100,000 or more. It will take at least 90 days, Twa added, to come up with an accurate number for what the courts should be paid by the county.
County officials said Tuesday that a software program, still being developed, could be crucial in determining how much the county would actually have to pay to compensate for criminal justice fees no longer being
collected.
State Senate Bill 144, the Families Over Fees Act, sponsored by Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, seeks to accomplish this criminal fee relief statewide. It would end the assessment and collection of specified
administrative fees imposed against people in the criminal justice system, and discharge all previous related debt. It is expected to be voted on in 2020.
Contra Costa County supervisors want to hear an update on the fees from county staff sometime in March.
More BS. We elect these people and they spend their time making it easier on criminals. Google a photo of Holly Mitchell from LA.
Here’s my shocked face….
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Remember this crap when it comes time to vote.
Total BS this article
They can’t pay because they are black or sorry of color
If you can’t pay you spend the time in jail
A deterrence meant to show offenders don’t do the crime if you can’t pay
Which the democrats have deemed no jail time for anyone
And the reason for this no fee system is to that those families would vote dem to keep it that way
The democrats favorite ploy
Get you hooked on their free bees so you have to vote dem
In essence enslaving them to democrat policy and service to keep the platform of no fees and no jail time for offenders in exchange for votes
Illegal as far as I am concerned but this state has a whole different definition of crime and illegal political pandering of votes
For the board to throw this up again is just a hey look here again scam they use to remind those on the crime teete that the dems are controlling them
You see Hillary passed over these people last election
Now the board and soon the media will be grinding out all the favors the politicians have done for criminals and their families to re ensure they get the dem vote
Instead of freedom the democrats place on the binders with the threat of losing their free passes
As well the board is also seeking to impose those fees onto the hard working non criminal tax payers to foot the bills so to speak
Welcome to the socialist sanctuary communist party
“the benefit to the county from collecting these fees is outweighed by the cost of imposing them, especially given that they often are never paid and cannot be collected”
From a Conservative Fiscal point of view – anytime you are spending more than generating – you should really think hard about why are following that path…
What about the “undue burden” on victims? Decisions like this cause more people to vote republican. God help us all.
Are 60% of people in jail ‘persons of color’? If so, they have exceeded their quota of crime and need to be law-abiding until White people catch up.
No it is 70%
County staff has determined the “vast majority” of those who would pay criminal-justice fees are poor, and that about 70 percent of those in Contra Costa jails are people of color. The fees, they said, place an undue
burden on both those groups, the county has determined. Also, the jailed people’s families are usually the ones who bear the burden of these fees.
Every government office Local,State,and Federal is issued a full deck of race cards daily to do with as they please…….
Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay or do the time…
Complete Utter BS!!!
What’s next is that fees will quadruple for those who “can afford it”.
Equality? Ha, WHAT A JOKE.
It’s interesting that they are asking about the cost now. The board of supervisors voted not too long ago to eliminate the fees. From what I recall, only one supervisor tried to put a hold on the process by asking “How much will this cost us?” That bit of rational thought was swept aside.
See https://www.claycord.com/2019/09/18/update-contra-costa-supervisors-put-temporary-moratorium-on-criminal-court-fees/
Mitchoff actually cares about regular hardworking tax payers.
Goia is pathetic . Anything he can do to help criminals is right up his alley . He is the main proponent for this .
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I bet this goes to means testing for payment, it’s economic bias and a Progressive dream
This is another move by the California government to support, defend and encourage criminals. In the meantime, the honest, law abiding citizens of this state get the shaft.
“Designed to help get former inmates back on their feet more quickly.”
What percentage of former inmates become current inmates?
How about this: Teach them responsibility by letting them work off their incurred criminal justice fees. Nobody builds character when someone else pays their way. Having fees waived has the same psychological effect as dodging fees. Anyone in favor of this has obviously never had even a rudimentary class in psychology or human behavior.
Fearless makes a good point. The far left is enamored with giving criminals breaks. They jump on phrases like mass incarceration without a clue what that means.
This is why Gioia was big supporter of appointing our dizzy DA . Going easy on crooks is in his DNA .
Most career criminals will only stop stealing from honest people when they are locked up. That’s just a fact, Jack.
BS. Put the thieves in jail and then so much of this will stop. Get a grip folks. Put laws back in place and follow through. Stop supporting crooked politicians in COCO.
The easiest way to get rid of the fees is to simply eliminate the crime. In my house, we teach our kids that committing crimes will a have long-term negative impact on their lives. We have given them a moral compass that will hopefully guide them. This is the best way to thwart crimes before they happen, but then again this requires a family.
The other way to get rid of these fees is to allow all activity to be seen as permissible. This is what the left seems to be going for. Making criminal activity ok. Don’t enforce the laws for crimes that they think are ok. Make life easy on the criminal and blame someone/something else for the bad behavior. If everything is “legal”, then there is no crime!
I view the fees as simply a toll that a person must pay when they decide to cross the “criminal bridge”. Want to drive to SF? Pay the toll. Want to be a criminal? Pay the toll.
Treat the court fees like they do for unpaid child support. You don’t pay-notify DMV to revoke driving license, no passport, no unemployment or disability payments, lien on house and bank account if you have one, etc. Have a major problem as a tax payer paying for criminals unpaid court costs. Shame on the supervisors. Remember this next election. There should be consequences for criminal activity.