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Elk County prison board approves inmate fee increases to help offset lost phone commission
Summary
The Elk County Prison Board voted to raise several inmate fees and add a misconduct fee after hearing a monthly report showing falling population, shorter average stays and projected revenue losses tied to an upcoming end to phone commissions.
The Elk County Prison Board voted to raise several fees charged to inmates and to add a misconduct fee, measures county staff said are intended to partially offset the loss of inmate phone-commission revenue expected in April 2026.
The board approved increasing the prescription handling fee from $3 to $4 per medication per month, raising the booking fee from $25 to $35 per commitment and adding a $10 misconduct fee; members set the new rates to take effect Feb. 1. The motion was moved and seconded on the record and approved by voice vote with no roll-call tally announced.
The changes followed a routine monthly report on population and finances delivered to the board. Gordon, prison staff, told commissioners the jail's population was 36 incarcerated individuals as of 8 a.m. on the meeting date and that the average daily population for December was 33. Gordon said the facility booked 287 commitments in calendar year 2024, down from 334 in 2023, and that the average length of stay dropped from 62 days in 2023 to 30 days in 2024.
Gordon also presented revenue and account balances for 2024. He reported deposits to the general fund including $3,804 in medical co-pays, $1,400 for social security services, roughly $106.50 for record searches and $7,920 for housing out-of-county inmates. Yearly booking fees deposited to the booking-fee account were $3,981.52, and the inmate incentive account balance was $22,072.75. Gordon said the jail received $146 from the opioid settlement for the fourth quarter of 2024 and that total MAT reimbursement for 2024 was $5,405.45.
County staff estimated the proposed increases would yield modest additional revenue. Gordon said raising the prescription handling fee to $4 would add roughly $1,752 per year and that increasing the booking fee to $35 would generate about $2,430 more annually based on 2024 volumes. Those amounts, he said, would be deposited to the general fund and could be used to cover prescription costs and other inmate-related expenses.
Commissioners asked staff how the fees would be enforced and raised concerns about optics and due process for the proposed misconduct fee. A commissioner noted that disciplinary hearings already exist and that inmates who are found not guilty would not be assessed a fee. Gordon told the board, “We don't withhold medication from somebody that does not have the money,” and described how indigent inmates' accounts are managed: when funds are later deposited, the county takes a portion to cover prior charges.
The board also received personnel and operational updates. Gordon reported one resignation: Harley Thompson, a long-time part-time corrections officer, accepted a maintenance position with the county. Commissioners thanked staff for hosting community and school visits to the facility.
The fee-change motion recorded no roll-call vote; the board took the action by voice vote and set the effective date as Feb. 1. Implementation will require policy revisions and administrative steps before collection begins.
