Every once in a while, something beautiful occurs in politics: a government program is introduced that not only enhances public welfare but also saves taxpayer dollars. A Dane County ordinance introduced last week, which would exempt poor inmates on work release programs from paying for security ankle bracelets, is exactly one of those occurrences.

The ordinance ? introduced by Dane County Supervisor Ashok Kumar, District 5 ? would exempt misdemeanants on work release from paying for the cost of the bracelet program if they earn an income below the federal poverty line, currently set at $867 a month. With the cost of the program estimated at $600 a month, it is unreasonable to expect an inmate to give a possible three out of every four dollars from his paycheck in order to participate in the program. Such a staggering demand would inhibit many of the rehabilitative advances the program aims to generate in the first place.

Most importantly, the ordinance saves the county money. By putting the same number of inmates on work release as would otherwise be contracted out to surrounding county jails ? at a cost nearly double that of the ankle bracelet program ? the county will increase rehabilitative efforts in a fiscally responsible manner.

Accordingly, we fail to see why the program should not also be provided free of cost to those inmates who fall above the poverty line. To do otherwise would amount to levying a punitive cost with the only apparent rationale being that these inmates are not poor.

While we routinely disagree with Mr. Kumar?s ideologies ? and especially the abrasive and counterproductive manner in which he often conveys them ? we applaud him for this sensible proposal, and we hope it garners support from all parties.

Of course, it is important this program only remain in place as long as it is cost-effective for the county. While the goal of rehabilitation is a noble one, it would not outweigh a significant cost increase that could arise if the crime rate in Dane County were to drop below a certain threshold. Criminals are criminals, and if the ankle bracelet program ceases to be cost-effective, it is reasonable to expect some restitution to the taxpayer in exchange for the increased freedom of an inmate.