I would like to share some positive news with you this week regarding the BCSO jail operations. Being charged with the incarceration and care of some many people who have run afoul of the law is a huge responsibility, and I want to acknowledge and thank Capt. Gabe Thomas and all the deputies who have shouldered that responsibility so well. The potential liabilities that come with operating a jail our size that houses state, federal and local inmates are not to be taken lightly, and the men and women who work back there are doing a terrific job. In fact, all our deputies are doing a terrific job and they’re all to be commended.

Most of you know the Bradley County jail regularly generates revenue for the county. Most of this money comes from housing state and federal inmates. Bradley County receives $35 a day for housing state inmates and $49.60 a day for federal. This money goes into the General Fund.

As with most revenue-generating operations across the country, there is a billing process, so it generally takes a few months between billing and payment. This week we received payment for the month of November which totaled $230,201.23. That breaks down thusly:

   State inmates:  $107,625.
   Federal inmates:  $110,159.86
   Evercom (inmate phone system):  $6,438.94
   Sex Offender Registry:  $340.
   Data Processing:  $112.
   Sheriff’s Offices fees: $1,831.
   Commissary:  $3,694.43

For the current fiscal year, which is July through November, 2006, BCSO jail operations generated a total of $1,153,345.30. That is a substantial amount that doesn’t even include booking fees, fees from serving warrants and fees collected through the Circuit Court clerks. When all revenue generated by the BCSO is collected, the total is approximately $4 million a year, give or take. For a more complete breakdown of annual revenues brought into the county by the BCSO, view my podcast entitled “Show Me the Money.”

Speaking of the jail, let me address a more personal issue. During my time as sheriff, folks have suggested (some seriously, some maybe not so seriously) that I should follow the example of sheriffs in other parts of the country that make life uncomfortable and even humiliating for prisoners. For example, some have suggested I force male inmates to wear pick underwear and pink jumpsuits, or even house them in pink cells. Some suggest housing inmates in tents or take away all but the basic necessities, that kind of thing. But that isn’t the way I see it.

Some prisoners are first timers, some are repeat offenders. But they are all human beings and as such, I  feel that as long as they enter the system with an eye to improving themselves, they deserve a degree of consideration. My goal for them is rehabilitation, as opposed to punishment.

Don’t misunderstand me. We do not tolerate crime in Bradley County. It is unacceptable on every level and if someone chooses to disregard the law, they will be caught and they will be booked into a jail cell for however long the court so orders. The BCSO takes a hard-line position on crime and our record proves that. We have reduced burglaries in Bradley County by 30 percent over last year and have doubled burglary arrests. In fact, we have achieved a 45 percent clearance rate for all crime in the county. We are showing results that are 15 percent above the national average. The BCSO does not tolerate criminal activity and if someone takes the low road, I can promise them a room at the Bradley County Justice Center. The men and women serving time in the jail are where they are because our courts found them guilty of violating the law of the land.

However, many of the low-risk BCSO inmates are performing an important service to the citizens of Bradley County. Our inmate work program has prisoners cleaning county roadways and property, as well as the property of certain non-profit organizations who qualify. Low-risk inmates are a tremendous help at the BCSO garage, helping repair, refurbish and maintain road-weary, high-mileage patrol cars.  They help maintain the grounds at the Justice Center and have lent a hand in other areas since I took office in September of 2006. I am grateful for their assistance and I think they receive a sense of accomplishment and self-worth from being allowed to help.

My hope for all prisoners is that after they have paid their debt and are returned to their homes and families, they can find the strength of character to become productive members of society. Maybe they can even serve as examples for others who may be following the wrong road or who are prone to making poor choices. As long as an inmate shows promise, I want to see them fulfill that promise.

As ever, if you would like to contact me directly and confidentially, email: comments@bradleysheriff.com.