(A) Affirmation. The Columbia County Quorum Court finds a significant number of pretrial detainees are placed on house arrest as part of the County Home Incarceration Program. This program, pursuant to the orders of the trial court, mandates monitoring services required to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions in the program.
(B) Authority to collect. Under A.C.A. § 21-6-307, a sheriff may collect a fee of $30.00 per month for enforcing each order, notice or rule of the court.
(C) Levy. The Quorum Court hereby assesses a fee of $30.00 per month to each participant in the County Home Incarceration Program to enforce the rules of the trial court. If a participant stays in compliance with the program for six months, the fee shall be waived for the remainder of the participant's time in the program. If a participant does not remain in compliance and is arrested, should the participant be allowed to participate in the program again, the participant shall pay for the full term of their participation in the Home Incarceration Program.
(D) Collection. The participant in the Home Incarceration Program shall pay for monitoring by the tenth of the month, beginning from the date of participation. If participation begins prior to the tenth of the month, the first payment will be due in the current month. If participation begins after the tenth of the month, the first payment will be due in the following month. Any participant who fails to pay no later than the 20th for monitoring shall be found in noncompliance. As such, the participant shall be subject to arrest and immediately returned to the County Detention Facility.
(E) Disposition. The fee levied by this section collected by the County Sheriff’s Department shall be deposited monthly with the County Treasurer. The County Treasurer shall credit the funds to the County General Fund to help defray the cost of monitoring participants in the Home Incarceration Program.
(F) Legislative intent. It is the intent of the Quorum Court that the revenues derived from the judgment levied by this section shall not offset or reduce funding from other sources for the maintenance, operation and capital expenditures of the County Sheriff's Department.
(Ord. 2012.8, passed 2-6-2012)