A pre-trial release screening and supervision program that began in Cole County Sept. 1 met its goal of reducing overcrowding at the Cole County Jail.
Richard Lee, circuit marshal for the county's pre-trial service, told the County Commission on Wednesday the program has saved the county 2,080 bed days at the jail because of released individuals.
Each day an inmate spends in jail costs taxpayers $70.
Presiding County Commissioner Marc Ellinger said reducing bed days by more than 2,000 saves taxpayers more than $140,000.
Lee said four people have successfully completed the pre-trial program, there have been no violations and no one has failed to appear in court.
"I think we've been productive in what we're trying to do," he said.
He said the program looks at individuals who have not been able to post bond after four days. The goal is to collect information and request a reduced bond amount from the judges, so that an individual can qualify for pre-trial release and post bond.
Lee said the program has evaluated 129 individuals since Sept. 1. Of those, 30 have posted bond. Sixteen of the 30 have posted reduced bonds through the pretrial release screening and supervision program.
"I think our program not only serves the citizens, it also serves the bail bond industry because we're giving them a bond amount that is makable," Lee said. "The key to the program is to make it equitable for everyone."
Rick Higgins, a bondsman and owner of Higgins Bail Bonds in Jefferson City, disagrees.
He told the commission Wednesday that he's upset there wasn't discussion with bail bond companies and how it would affect them when the program was introduced.
"I'm not understanding the program that you're starting and why you're not looking at other options for the overcrowding," Higgins told the commission.
Ellinger's response to Higgins was for him to come up with an alternate plan in writing.
Ellinger said the court brought the proposal for the pre-trial release screening and supervision program to the commission, hearings were held and no one objected.
"If we start having a problem, we'll be back in here to fix it," Ellinger said. "It's hard to argue with success, and right now we have success. The trick is to monitor it, and if we start seeing problems, that's when we have to address it."
The commission also discussed the Cole County Sheriff's Department budget Wednesday.
Ellinger said the 2014 sheriff's budget is projecting an operating deficit of $160,000, based on revenues coming in, general revenue and all expenses.
He said the deficit is due in part to additional health insurance costs for employees and salary increases.
Sheriff Greg White said he plans on looking at alternative television service options and various other small changes to decrease expenses.
"It won't be dramatic amounts, but it's some," White said.
Ellinger said the key to making the budget work is going line by line, issue by issue and figuring it out.
"If we can find a few thousand here and a few thousand there, eventually that adds up to the bigger numbers," he said.
White said the Sheriff's Department plans to work on adjusting the budget this week and report back to the commission at its next meeting on Dec. 12.