Then-Senator Glodis, as Chairman of the Public Safety Committee, put forth a proposal that outlined a sliding scale daily user fee for all inmates at both state and county correctional facilities. 

“I applaud Governor Patrick for recognizing the fiscal burden that inmates represent to the taxpayers,” Sheriff Glodis stated.  ““Particularly now, with the state facing an uncertain fiscal outlook, the financial burden of providing inmates’ health care, education, sanitation, facility improvements, staff salaries and the hundreds of other expenses that go into our corrections system should no longer be endured solely by the taxpayers of the Commonwealth.  The Governor’s plan is much-needed and long overdue.” 

While details regarding the Governor’s plan have not yet been released, Sheriff Glodis highlighted his own plan for instituting an inmate user fee, filed as legislation in 2002: inmates would be assessed either $1 per day, $5 per day, or $10 per day depending the number of times they are incarcerated.  Upon their release, their account would be frozen, and the inmate’s family would not be required to pay.  Funds would be collected in three different ways: canteen account, cash on hand at the time of incarceration, or up to 25% of their income during incarceration.  Then-Senator Glodis’ legislation was not successfully passed by the Legislature. 

Sheriff Glodis continued: “The average cost of housing an inmate can easily exceed $30,000 per year.  Like any other state service, fees should be attached to offset this enormous cost to the taxpayers.  It’s time we held inmates financially accountable.” 

In recent years, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Kentucky, South Dakota, Michigan, West Virginia, and other states have improved their finances and inmate behavior when they began administering inmate fees.