Jail officials say internal audit, external review will precede moving inmate commissary funds

Monroe County jail officials told the County Council on Nov. 18 they have completed an internal audit of the facility—s in‑house commissary operations and are lining up an external certified public accountant to verify transfers before moving funds into a new commissary account.

The update, delivered by Correctional Center financial director Jordan Miller and the jail commander, said the commissary fund began the third quarter with $129,427.10 on July 1, recorded receipts of $55,059.24 and $399.99 in interest, and had expenditures of $74,572.82, leaving an Oct. 31 balance of $110,313.51. Officials described a move to quarterly reporting and use of a county standardized form (Form 205) to align accounting codes with permitted commissary expenses.

Why it matters: Council members pressed for clarity because a planned transfer of in‑house commissary proceeds would markedly increase the account balance visible in future reports. The sheriff—s team said the internal audit is complete and an external audit will be done to ensure accurate records before funds are moved, a step they said was intended to avoid reporting a large unexplained increase on council financial statements.

What officials said: Miller and the jail commander described how the facility uses a contracted company, CPC, for commissary, video visits and phone services, and how the county operates an in‑house commissary that keeps some receipts locally. They said permitted commissary expenditures include resale purchases, approved services for inmates and certain items like religious materials under statutory categories.

Council questions and staff responses focused on: whether commissary proceeds have been used to buy religious items (officials said permitted items can include Bibles, Qurans and prayer rugs under one of nine statutorily allowable categories); examples of recent checks (hotel, mileage, small commissary purchases) and a $20,000 purchase of a food cart that officials said was authorized from in‑house funds; and how weekly transfers will be handled once audits and a certified process are in place.

Next steps: Jail staff said they will notify council staff when an external auditor is retained and provide the audit report. Council members signaled they want the registrar of accounts and the auditor—s office to review final documentation before large transfers are completed.

The council heard the update near the start of the meeting and did not take formal action on commissary appropriations at the Nov. 18 session.