Inmate Welfare Fund

The Riverside County Sheriff has appointed an Inmate Welfare Fund Committee to administer the IWF. The Committee consists of Sheriff’s Department employees and one retiree who also has a law enforcement background. The Committee meets bi-monthly at the Banning Correctional Facility.

The San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties’ IWF committees are comprised solely of private citizens with diverse backgrounds whose views on how the funds are used are more representative of inmate needs. A County Counsel representative attends all of their IWF meetings to ensure that expenditures are within the parameters of the law..

The source of funds for the IWF are: a. Commissions received from the inmate telephone service provider, b. Commissions from inmate purchases in the jail commissary, c. Operational programs, e.g. print shop and auto paint shop, and d. Interest income. 1

Commissions from the company providing inmate telephone service constitute the main source of income for the IWF. Last year, telephone commissions were $1,964,747.

All inmate calls are collect. Although the rates charged are below those allowed by the Public Utilities Commission, they are significantly higher than those for regular collect calls. For example, recipients of local calls are charged a $2.65 connection surcharge and $.07 per minute. Out-of-state recipients are charged a $3.65 connection surcharge and $.59 per minute. Often recipients, such as an inmate’s family, are unaware of the extent of the costs that can be incurred by accepting such calls. Beginning in July 2001, Riverside County will initiate a debit card program on a trial basis in the Indio facility whereby an inmate has the option of making collect calls with a pre- paid card available in $5, $10, and $20 denominations.

The Riverside County IWF has doubled in the last five years and is currently in excess of $8,000,000. The IWF revenue averages approximately $250,000. per month.

The IWF Committee Bylaws and Policies require that a biennial audit by an outside party be completed, and an annual itemized report of expenditures be submitted to the Board of Supervisors. The bylaws quote authority in the law which has become obsolete.

An outside audit of the IWF was recently completed which was the first audit in two and one-half years.

A lack of reading skills is a significant issue in the inmate population.

Types of programs supported by the Riverside County IWF are computer and office skills, auto paint shop, print shop, landscaping, GED diploma, and literacy programs.

San Bernardino County also uses IWF monies to support additional programs such as health education and job fairs for inmates about to be released.

There are plans to use IWF money to build an inmate education, training, and rehabilitation center in Banning over a five-year period with a total budget of approximately $7,500,000. Incorporating inmate construction training programs will serve the dual purpose of reducing costs as well as providing training. 2