WEST OLIVE — How much should county jail inmates pay for their stay?

That question was revisited during a work session Tuesday, Feb. 24, as the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners discussed an ongoing pilot program that charges inmates at the county jail $60 for the duration of their stay.

Previously, the county charged inmates $25 per day. Due to many inmates not being able to pay higher fees accrued from longer visits, the county sent their cases to collection agencies, often resulting in a low repayment rate.

In late 2018, the county launched a pilot study to determine if placing a one-time $60 fee would result in more inmates being able to repay the fee and avoid being sent to collections. Now, the county is deciding whether or not to keep that system moving forward.

Ottawa County Accounting Manager Myra Ocasio told the board that the county’s collection rate went from 7.2 percent under the previous system in 2018 to 35.5 percent under the pilot system in 2019.

She added that charging all inmates a one-time flat fee also resulted in the county saving staff hours. Ocasio said the previous process was “cumbersome, convoluted and time-consuming,” and the pilot process was much more streamlined.

Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Kempker told the board he supports adopting the pilot program full time.

“I fully support this,” he said. “This does make a difference; there are good people in that jail, when they get out, they don’t want to go back in.”

The pilot program also gives the county the option to pursue a $60 per day charge if the initial $60 fee goes unpaid, but the county is unlikely to pursue those charges. County legal counsel Doug Van Essen added that the per day fee is in place to deter inmates from not paying the one-time fee.

The board will likely make a decision on whether or not to finalize the program at its next meeting on Tuesday, March 10.

Ottawa County Undersheriff Valerie Weiss told the board the one-time fee can lead to better outcomes for recently released inmates.

“We’re talking about people that it’s buying diapers, basic needs, or paying a jail bill,” she said. “It makes a difference. ... If you make it feasible for them to pay this, it’s one less thing they have to worry about.”

— Contact reporter Arpan Lobo at alobo@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ArpanLobo.