Adjusting to life after prison can be a gut-wrenching reality for some. The cost of maintaining one’s freedom puts on additional pressure for a newly released citizen. State Rep. Tommy Brann is easing this burden by creating a law designed to lower parole and probation fees.
The new law would introduce a flat-fee system that will create lower supervision and electronic monitoring device fees. The fee for supervision would be $30 per month and fees for an electronic monitoring device would be $60 per month. With electronic monitoring devices, fees are usually charged daily, rather than monthly which is one of the reasons why Brann is pushing for this law to be passed.
Brann’s influence to create new legislation comes from first-hand experience. As a restaurant owner, one of his employees had a run-in with law enforcement and struggled to pay for her tether. “Most offenders are unable to afford the fees, so they simply do not pay them,” Brann said. “One of the servers at our restaurant made a mistake and got into trouble with the law. She had great intentions and wanted very much to contribute to society – but she simply couldn’t afford to pay the $13-a-day tether bill, no matter how hard she tried.”
Brann also believes excessive fees for citizens should be eliminated from the justice system. “High supervision fees hold people back and prevent them from succeeding outside of the criminal justice system. Our communities will benefit if we help former offenders get to a place where they are self-sufficient. People who can afford to support themselves and their families are much less likely to break the law again in the future.”
Introducing new legislation eases the financial stress that comes with being released from prison.
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