Want to see what one small part of the soft on crime agenda is costing Oklahoma taxpayers? Scroll down to PDF page 122 (page 106 in the actual document) and look over just one part of the soft on crime Pre Trial Release program (PTR). This is a county operated agency that investigates detainees and puts together a recommendation for a judge to use in considering whether or not the criminal is release on PTR or OR or if they sit in jail until they purchase a commercial bail bond. Not all of the finances are listed. TEEM is part of this bunch and they pull in millions in grants and donations plus the money they skim off of the participants, as much as $10.00 per day.
But the county portion is around $2,224,000 per year to serve 2,287 release detainees on PTR or OR, costing the state and local taxpayers $972.45 per case. Even if you consider the total number of detainees considered the cost is at $138.00 per detainee. To get the number that high the agency is inflating the number of inmates they are “investigating” so the higher cost per released inmate is more realistic.
Consider that it cost $972.00 to get a judge a report on an inmate that he might or might not read and the fact that a bondsman does that for free. The bondsman researches the inmate's criminal past, his record of showing up for court, and if the risk is high they require collateral from the inmate or the inmate's family. Grandma knows that little Johnny is a mess and is still paying off the forfeited bail from last time so she isn't going to help or she knows that he will show up for court and take responsibility so she helps out. The inmate shows up to court, the average bail is around $5000 or $500 cost to the inmate, the court runs smoother and the inmate isn't paying $10.00 per day to a PTR program and making some liberal like Kris Steele rich.
The bondsmen have a new video out that sums up how a criminal views the soft on crime programs. We know that the failure to appear rate at arraignments was 53% in January, 57% in February, and up to 63% in March. Keep in mind that an arraignment is the first step in adjudication, no lawyer needed, just show up and you walk away. There is no reason not to appear other than you do not respect the court system and refuse to cooperate.
