Terrell Says Jail Is A Burden!! Isn't That The Point

From the T&G:

Smith's fate in hands of feds
By Emily Goodson
Federal attorneys in Atlanta are currently reviewing a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) report regarding the use of inmate labor and seized drug money by Camden County Sheriff Bill Smith.District Attorney Stephen Kelley turned the report over last fall to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta after the GBI completed a yearlong investigation of Smith's use of inmate labor and his expenditures from a federal seized assets account.
Kelley said it is now up to federal prosecutors to review the report and make a decision as to whether to take the case to a grand jury."They have to make a prosecutorial decision," he said.Kelley also said his decision to turn the report over to federal authorities was prompted by his office's work with the sheriff's office as well as the report's examination of Smith's use of federal seized assets - money taken from drug dealers that is then redistributed to police departments to be used for law enforcement purposes."We work on a day-to-day basis with the sheriff," he said. "Obviously if it comes up that there are serious allegations made ... it's best to have an independent person come in and look at it."

Inmate labor - GBI investigators launched their examination of Smith last summer after Camden County inmates were seen working on private property on Cumberland Island, within the boundaries of the National Seashore. The National Park Service began a separate investigation at the same time and later reassigned Cumberland Island National Seashore Superintendent Jerre Brumbelow to a regional office in Atlanta, where he remains today.Smith declined to comment on the GBI's report, saying he was not at liberty to discuss it because the case is still considered an ongoing investigation. He did say that his office has received no indication from the federal government that any of the seized asset expenditures are illegal.County Commissioner and St. Marys attorney Steve Berry said he hopes to see federal attorneys move forward with the case."It is my hope that the wrongdoings that have been going on here get rectified," he said, referring to Smith's questionable use of federal seized assets and inmate labor. "These things are still going on."County commission Chairman Preston Rhodes said he respects Kelley's decision to turn the report over to federal attorneys."That was his decision to turn that report over," he said.Commissioner David Rainer said he understands why Kelley turned the report over to federal authorities, adding that any wrongdoing uncovered by investigators should be dealt with in the judicial system."If anything was done wrong, it shouldn't have been," he said. "It needs to follow due process."Commissioner Charlene Sears, Vice Chairwoman Katherine Nisi Zell and Lt. William Terrell, the public information officer for the sheriff's office, could not be reached before press time Tuesday.

Seized assets - Money seized from drug dealers is often returned to police agencies to be used for the purchase of equipment, vehicles and other law enforcement needs.State guidelines allow chief law enforcement officers to decide how the money will be used, though the guidelines prohibit using the money for the payment of salaries or bonuses to law enforcement personnel. Federal guidelines are much stricter and direct the money to be used for law enforcement purposes only.Berry questioned several expenditures from Smith's federal seized assets account, including payments made to inmates for work done around the Camden County Jail and tuition reimbursements for sheriff's office employees."That money should be used to offset the expenses of the sheriff's office so we can lower taxes for the people of Camden County," Berry said.An audit of the sheriff's office's federal seized assets account from June 30, 2007 shows more than $10,000 in expenditures to inmates. The audit also shows expenditures to Coastal Georgia Community College, Valdosta State University, Columbia Southern University and Troy University.Smith said the tuition reimbursements are only made to sheriff's office employees studying criminal justice or a related field, such as forensic science."I think it's a win-win situation," he said. "We're trying to increase the education level of the employees. They have to study a criminal justice related course."Other expenditures include $2,500 to the Camden Force cheerleading team, $300 to the Camden County Quarterback Club, $500 to Team Cheer, $100 to the Camden County High School Dugout Club and $200 to the Camden County High School Band Boosters.St. Marys attorney Jim Stein said he believes such expenditures are improper."I think it's definitely improper," he said. "It doesn't fit any of the criteria that seized assets were meant for."Stein said the seized drug money should only be used for things that help prevent crime in Camden County."It's nice to support high school football teams and things like that, but that has nothing to do with law enforcement in Camden County," he said.Lt. William Terrell, the public information officer for the sheriff's office, defended the payments made to inmates, saying that the rate of $50 per day is well below the minimum wage.Often, Terrell said, the inmates at the jail are the primary providers for their families, and their incarceration only brings financial hardship."It puts a terrible burden on them," he said.The small payments made to the inmates can often help ease the fiscal burden, he said, and hopefully teach the inmates the value of earning a wage."The sheriff's philosophy is that trusties should wear out working instead of rusting out sitting in jail," Terrell said.


TRSP Review:
The sheriff's philosophy is to use these guys for his own personal gain. If they can't do the time, they should not due the crime. They should be out working on government property cleaning up the county, free of charge. By God, aren't we suppling them with room and board.