Brevard County is 4th worst of Florida’s 67 counties for jail inmates awaiting disposition of their cases. Each inmate costs taxpayers $69 per day. With approximately 1,200 inmates having undisposed cases the yearly cost to taxpayers is $30,000,000. If Brevard met the state average by becoming 33rd instead of 4th worst, that cost would be cut in half with a savings of $15 million.
Some of these jail inmates will go to state prison, some will be released on probation or into a treatment facility, and some will be found not-guilty. Wherever they are headed, getting the inmate on their way sooner benefits taxpayers, the inmates, and all Brevard citizens.
The situation is so bad the Brevard County Manager’s Office stepped in to create an ankle monitoring program. This program releases indigent inmates with minor crimes (who already qualify for bond) on a monitored ankle bracelet. At a cost of $10 per day the County saves $59 per day per inmate.
As Public Defender I will commit an attorney and a paralegal to the jail and work with the State Attorney and Judges to reduce the number of inmates in the jail and save taxpayers a substantial amount of money.