Receive and file the Inmate Welfare Fund Annual Report for 2018-19 through 2020-21. (No general fund impact) (Lopez/Johnson)

Receive and file the Inmate Welfare Fund Annual Report for 2018-19 through 2020-21.

Safe Communities

History
In Fiscal Year 2001-02, the Inmate Welfare Trust was transferred to a separate fund and a new accounting unit was created within the Sheriff's Office budget in order to comply with General Accounting Standards Board publication number 34. This Inmate Welfare Trust fund receives revenue from the commission on the sale of commissary items to the inmates, and a commission percentage on the inmates’ telephone usage paid directly by the servicing phone company. These monies are deposited in a restricted fund (Accounting Unit 12843425096860) and are administered and expended by the Sheriff primarily for the benefit, education, and welfare of the inmates incarcerated at the Yolo County Monroe and Leinberger detention facilities as follows:

• Facility Maintenance (Repairs necessitated from inmate damage)
• Program Supplies (Includes personal hygiene items, periodicals, televisions, and recreational items)
• Operational Expenses (Includes office supplies and minor equipment)
• Education (Includes the Law Library and Literacy Programs)
• Support and Care (Bus passes)

It is the hope that by offering such services and items, inmates can re-enter the community with useable life and employment skills, helping to break the recidivism cycle. 
 
Penal Code Section 4025 (d) specifies that an itemized report of these expenditures shall be submitted annually to the Board of Supervisors. The Sheriff's Office is submitting the attached report in compliance.

Report
The attached report details revenue and expenditures from Fiscal Year 2018-19 through Fiscal Year 2020-21 and shows the year-end status of the Inmate Welfare Fund for Fiscal Year 2020-21 as of August 5, 2021.  The estimated year-end balance is $329,265, an increase of 51% since Fiscal Year 2019-20, showing the fund is in good financial condition.  The fund has increased robustly since Fiscal Year 2017-18, when the ending balance was $24,848.  These increases are attributed to several factors:

• A decrease in the average daily population due to COVID-19 has reduced overall services and supplies needs and expenditures in the Inmate Welfare Fund
• Social distancing restrictions due to COVID-19 and the demolition of the Leinberger facility limited the number of programs the Sheriff’s Office was able to offer during Fiscal Year 2020-21, reducing educational expenditures
• Renegotiation of contract terms increased the commission percentage on commissary from 30% to 38%, increasing revenue for Fiscal Year 2019-20 through Fiscal Year 2020-21
• Salary costs for staff dedicated to the Inmate Welfare Program were absorbed by the Detention Accounting Unit beginning in Fiscal Year 2017-18.

Future Program Goals
Keeping the Inmate Welfare Fund in good financial condition will be vital to ensure the Sheriff’s Office will be able to continue to provide educational services to the in-custody population in the future.  The completion of the Monroe Detention Center remodel and the current redesign of the Leinberger facility has created an opportunity for expanded inmate welfare programming.  The Sheriff’s Office’s goal is to design a comprehensive, collaborative, and expansive in-custody treatment curriculum that will address a multitude of criminological risk factors and follow the core principles of the Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) model. Having an evidence-based in-custody program is one of the Sheriff’s Office's long-term goals and part of the County’s 2020-2025 strategic plan.

The Sheriff’s Office is also preparing to accept proposals for the provision of inmate telecommunications, which will upgrade the program to include video visitation. We are currently contracted with the consulting firm Praeses, who will assist with the RFP process, ensure compliance, and negotiate the most competitive commission contract available, stabilizing the amount of commission revenue received.

Data source for the attached chart is the Department of Financial Services Income Statement and Trial Balance reports as of June 30 annually.  Purchasing has reviewed and approved all contracts for professional and specialized services provided under the Inmate Welfare Program.  County Counsel has also approved all contracts for professional services.