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Committee seeks $15 million from DOC reversion to raise jail reimbursement rate
Summary
Chairman Briggs asked the committee to send a letter to the Finance Committee recommending $15 million of a $57 million Department of Corrections reversion be moved to the state prosecution fund to raise the per-diem reimbursement for local jails from $41 to $44 per inmate.
The Tennessee Senate State and Local Government Committee voted to prepare a letter to the Finance Committee asking that $15 million of $57 million reverted by the Department of Corrections be allocated to the state prosecution fund to increase the daily reimbursement paid to local facilities that hold state inmates.
"The Department reverted 57,000,000 to the general fund, which was 17,000,000 over their targeted reversion," Chairman Briggs said, proposing that $15,000,000 be moved "for the purpose of increasing the daily reimbursement rate" paid to counties and cities that house state prisoners. Briggs added the current reimbursement of $41 a day is "far, far, far below the cost to house those prisoners" and that the additional funds would increase the rate to $44 a day.
Supporters said the change would help local jails manage costs driven by inflation. No member objected to drafting the letter; Chairman Briggs said the committee analyst would prepare and transmit it to Finance. The committee did not adopt a binding appropriation during the hearing; the recommendation is intended to prompt the Finance Committee to consider the transfer in its budget work.
