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Hamilton County Community Corrections warns of potential $575,000 revenue shortfall
Summary
Executive Director Kevin Mulroony told the advisory board that incentivizing fee payments recently increased revenue by $60,000 in one month, but proposed changes to vending services and other funding shifts could create an estimated $575,000 annual revenue shortfall; the department has sought an exemption and is weighing alternatives including a trust fund or commissary under Senate Bill 92.
Executive Director Kevin Mulroony presented the director’s report to the Hamilton County Community Corrections Advisory Board on June 4, outlining current population levels and a shifting revenue picture.
Mulroony said residential capacity is at 87% and electronic monitoring (EM) occupancy is at 75%. He reported that incentivizing fee payments produced a one‑month revenue increase of about $60,000 and that the agency has exceeded projections for May. Mulroony said a new fee structure, plus credit‑card and online payment options, will begin in July.
Mulroony warned the board that the Rehabilitation Services Bureau has expressed interest in assuming operation of the department’s vending services. He said if that transfer occurs, the department would likely lose an estimated $70,000 in annual vending revenue. Combined with projected cuts to IDOC grant funding and Federal Communications Commission changes affecting inmate calling systems, Mulroony said Community Corrections could face roughly $575,000 in lost revenue over one year.
To address the risk, Mulroony told the board he submitted a “good cause” exemption letter to the Board of County Commissioners requesting that Community Corrections be exempted from exclusive operation by the Rehabilitation Services Bureau. According to the director’s report, the Board of County Commissioners approved the exemption letter; the department is awaiting a response from the bureau. Mulroony said that if the bureau denies the request, the department would explore establishing a trust fund and a commissary, options he said are permitted under Senate Bill 92.
Mulroony framed these items as contingent and subject to external decisions: the department’s projected $575,000 shortfall depends on both the bureau’s decision and other external funding actions. The advisory board did not take a separate vote on the vending‑services contingency during the meeting; members discussed the issue in the context of the written financial reports.
The board asked staff to continue monitoring the situation and report back as the bureau responds and as the department implements its new payment options starting in July.
