NEWS
Kumar: Cheapen tracking devices
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Taylor Cox:
- County airport aims for student travelers (February 1, 2008)
Related Stories:
- Price of inmate bracelets to increase next week (January 28, 2008)
- UW's Kumar to run for Dane County Board (December 2, 2005)
- County delays RTA proposal (February 8, 2008)
- TAA puts hopes in Kumar (February 2, 2006)
- Dane County residents could have new ID option (September 17, 2007)
by Taylor Cox
Monday, February 25, 2008
An ordinance introduced last week would exempt financially
needy inmates from the fee for security ankle bracelets as part of the Dane
County Jail’s electronic monitoring diversion program.
Dane County Supervisor Ashok Kumar, District 5, introduced
the ordinance in hopes of reversing the effects of a recent increase in fees
for wearing the global positioning system bracelets.
The electronic supervision program allows inmates to leave
the Dane County Jail for work, education or family care purposes, provided that
the inmates wear a GPS bracelet at all times.
According to Kumar, the program was designed to improve
inmate rehabilitation and reduce crime and has expanded dramatically over the
past two years, increasing from 50 inmates to more than 200. Inmates were
originally charged $15 per day for the use of the bracelets, but that charge
was recently increased to $20 per day.
“There is no beneficial value of keeping people in jail when they could be with their families or [working at] a job,” Kumar said. “[Charging the inmates ]is highly regressive and is taking money from the poor. Those that earn below the federal poverty line make less than $850 a month, and $600 of it would be going toward this program.”
Dane County Sheriff David Mahoney, a proponent of the new
bracelet plans, said the price increase covers the price Dane County pays for
the bracelets.
“[The price increase] also provides an additional buffet of
money that would fund bracelets that don’t make the cut-off point for having to
pay,” Mahoney said.
The proposal seeks to encourage inmates who would have taken
advantage of the electronic supervision but are unable to afford it because of
the bracelet’s cost.
Kumar said the increase takes nearly “three out of every
four dollars from each inmate’s pocket,” adding that it’s a burden for people
“willing to get a job and better themselves.”
Inmates unable to afford an attorney or a public defender
are qualified to receive Federal Section 8 Housing Assistance. Inmates who are
parents or guardians also qualify for the fee exemption.
According to Kumar, the program actually helps raise revenue
for the jail.
Dane County makes $56 per day each time an inmate utilizes
the program, compared to the $10 per inmate per day it costs to administer the
program, Kumar said. Dane County Jail saves $3 million each year by not having
to house the inmates out on the GPS bracelet release program.
So far, the program has yet to aid an inmate under the
poverty line.
“Eighty-seven [inmates] are currently out on bracelets, none
of which who are indigent,” Mahoney said. “So far, nobody has come forward out
of the current inmate population to indicate that they needed the indigence option.
But when the time comes, we are fully prepared to address the issue.”
The Public Protection and Judiciary Committee will discuss
the ordinance March 3. It will go through the Personal Finance Committee March
10, then back to the Dane County Board of Supervisors for a decision.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 2:05am):
It's really easy for Ashok Kumar to ask Dane County residents to pay taxes to cover these braclets. What does Ashok care? This time next year he'll be bathing in the sun on the West Coast. Liberal elitist doesn't even begin to describe it.
Oh, and watch for the slew of comments, generally within the same hour of each other, that laud Ashok. "Ashok, you're __great, or some variation of good__!"
His same 10-20 supporters still left on campus troll the internets.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 3:18am):
Another excellent proposal by Kumar. Look at the Republican machine attacking the "liberals" who supported Kumar's policies. Almost all the policies listed were authored by Kumar: http://www.danegop.org/county_board/index.html
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 3:40am):
âEighty-seven [inmates] are currently out on bracelets, none of which who are indigent,â Mahoney said. âSo far, nobody has come forward out of the current inmate population to indicate that they needed the indigence option. But when the time comes, we are fully prepared to address the issue.â
.. This is absolutely absurd. The public defender herself has testified to the fact that many are not even asked if they can have reduced costs. And its completely discretionary, which is insane given the Sheriff's piss poor record on treatment of People of Color, immigrants, and poor people. He's really going nowhere fast!
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 3:43am):
Oh my god. Just wait for the anti-Kumar league. For those of you who don't know they are a small group of friendless losers who spend all day searching for "Ashok Kumar" on the internet just so that they could write crazy comments about him. I know its lonely to be a right-winger in Madison, please leave and go to Texas.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 4:31am):
Dude, I voted for you 2 years ago, and if I had the chance now, I'd run against you. What the hell is your deal? You said you'd be progressive and that is why I supported you. But it seems like your only constituency exists in jail. What about students?
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 8:11am):
Haha, the 3 Ashok comments at 3AM got totally pwned by the first comment.
Ashok-lovers = losers. In fact, rumor on campus is that Ashok posts it himself. Ever wonder how the person posting these comments always has such an in-depth undestanding of the issue?
"This is absolutely absurd. The public defender herself has testified to the fact that many are not even asked if they can have reduced costs. And its completely discretionary, which is insane given the Sheriff's piss poor record on treatment of People of Color, immigrants, and poor people. He's really going nowhere fast!"
Yeah, that doesn't sound like an insider. "People of Color" and immigrants. OK, for sure Ashok.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 9:08am):
Oh, college dem hacks, give up on your white whale - ashok goes off to sea, unharmed by your barbs.
This is yet another brilliant and important ordinance from the county's most legislatively productive supervisor.
Jackson Bravo (February 25, 2008 @ 11:08am):
oh when will the paranoia end? ... never? Why would Ashok write on this board? What's pathetic is that the right-wing on this campus is in denial. THIS ENTIRE CAMPUS VOTED AGAINST McCAIN! Do you fascists not realize that there aren't only "10-20" people of the left who defend Ashok, there are a lot lot more. "Defending Ashok" is not about the individual but about the ideas him and his supporters fight for. You all (I say that as if its not just 1 or 2 of you losers) know this fact, but try and rewrite reality on a wall post.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 12:17pm):
What's wrong with these Republicans with too much time on their hands? Do you hate Kumar THAT much that you have to write about him in EVERY single news column about him? Can't we just discuss the issue itself? This is a common-sense, good government, equitable policy that needs to be commended. Enough with the lefty bashing!
Jennifer Brown (February 25, 2008 @ 3:02pm):
I may be a political newby but this wouldn't appear to be very contentious of a law. Who in the liberal, open-minded, community of Madison/Dane County wouldn't support this? I know elected officials are obsessed with getting reelected, but who would vote against someone simply for supporting the poor. Fees, in general, are the most regressive forms of taxes, but fees to inmates are in their own catagory there just heartless and not the way our society should operate. To 2:05AM, please let me know why its bad for Kumar supporters to proud of their candidate. I know its rare for you conservatives to be proud, but caring for the poor, such as the inmate population, is something we should all work towards.
Jennifer Brown (February 25, 2008 @ 3:11pm):
I may be a political newby but this wouldn't appear to be very contentious of a law. Who in the liberal, open-minded, community of Madison/Dane County wouldn't support this? I know elected officials are obsessed with getting reelected, but who would vote against someone simply for supporting the poor. Fees, in general, are the most regressive forms of taxes, but fees to inmates are in their own catagory there just heartless and not the way our society should operate. To 2:05AM, please let me know why its bad for Kumar supporters to proud of their candidate. I know its rare for you conservatives to be proud, but caring for the poor, such as the inmate population, is something we should all work towards.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 3:21pm):
Happy to see the BH finally running local stories of importance. If I want national stuff I'll pick up a NYT.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 4:16pm):
Jackson Bravo = Ashok Kumar
You know, there used to be a day when Ashok could win an election.
Lauren Woods was the downfall of the campus far-left.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 5:12pm):
"fees to inmates are in their own catagory there just heartless and not the way our society should operate"
Yeah, it's not like those inmates did something wrong . . .
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 8:17pm):
4:16-- I've had classes with Jackson, he clearly isn't Ashok. Ashok was elected by several hundred students, and as a student on County Board represents many of us in other districts who don't have representatives so well integrated into campus life or nearly as responsive to student concerns. I was at the deportation info session tonight, and he was the sole Supervisor grilling Sheriff Mahoney on the necessity of working with ICE. I don't want this to turn into an immigration debate, but my point is that he has been one of the most vocal members of the County Board, and the most likely to fight hard for the interests of his constituency.
Anonymous (February 26, 2008 @ 1:50am):
To the above^ too bad no one knows who Ashok is, the campus editorial boards have both ripped him to shreds, well respected campus journalists have as well (opsal, smathers), and don't get me started on the blogs.
Representing students is one of the last things Ashok will be remembered for.
Jin-Gate '07? Now that'll be the memory.
Anonymous (February 26, 2008 @ 1:56am):
To 8:17, I too was at the Public Hearing and it was one of the most awesome experiences I've been a part of. The public hearing, whch was called by Kumar and the Immigrant Workers Union, was attended by hundreds of people a large proportion of whom were students. The Sheriff is a total bastard for assisting in the deportation of people, and Kumar made him know it.
Anonymous (February 27, 2008 @ 11:26am):
"well respected journalists" hahahaha... ok you are clearly one of the idiots mentioned. "no one knows kumar" ok... that's the quantifying measure of a person's success in office. There are thousands of people on this campus who know, respect, and support Kumar. Do a majority of the 70,000 students, faculty, and staff at this university know Kumar intimitaly? NO, but a majority knows nobody like that. I love how you right-wing hacks constently use the "nobody knows him" argument, its some weak-sauce shiiit.
Anonymous (March 10, 2008 @ 12:25pm):
I do think that "braclets" should be offered cheaper or free to those who get them, if the are indigent, but I am not sure how far we want to expand the offenses which qualify for braclets.
Add a comment
We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.
Login...
Not registered? Sign up now.
It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
