(La Porte County, IN) - The La Porte County Council has approved $255,000 to cover the cost of offenders on work release not paying for their satellite tracking devices as required.

 

The decision Monday night resulted in Council President Adam Koronka promising to approach the judges about enforcing the requirement made part of the conditions of an offender’s sentencing.

 

Originally, $70,000 was placed in this year’s budget to cover the cost of some offenders not paying the tab of the ankle bracelets they’re obligated to wear for authorities to keep track of their whereabouts via satellite.

 

So far, the bills under a lease with an ankle bracelet service provider has already exceeded $84,000, said La Porte County Community Corrections Director Mericka Beatty.

 

Councilman Mark Yagelski said judges not ordering dead beat offenders to pay for their ankle bracelets has been an ongoing problem.

 

“We’ve asked for this before but they don’t make them pay.  It makes no sense,” he said.

 

Beatty said she could not say what percentage of offenders are delinquent in their financial obligations because the number fluctuates depending on whose serving their sentences on work release or home detention.

 

“You can get a good group of individuals that come in for six months and they pay and then you can get a group of individuals who will not look for employment or cannot find employment,” she said.

 

Work release allows offenders to obtain employment to support themselves and their families. In exchange, they must return to incarceration until reporting back for work and pay the cost of their satellite tracking devices.

 

Only judges by acting on threats to place offenders back to jail full-time can try and force payment.

 

“We cannot prohibit people from coming into community corrections based upon their financial situation,” Beatty said.