How did housing 3 inmates in Madera County cost $2.2 million? Here are the details
A potential $2.2 million cost impacting Madera County’s budget — projected to end the fiscal year with a deficit of more than $6 million — is being attributed to an increase in inmate care expenses.
Specifically, the county spent unexpected amounts to monitor three “high-needs” inmates in “skilled-care” facilities between January and March of this year, staff said during a Board of Supervisors meeting May 7. Their care contributed significantly to the growth of a deficit that started at $8 million when the county passed the current year’s budget.
Through hiring controls, the county reduced that shortfall and a few weeks ago thought it would end the fiscal year in June with a deficit of $5.2 million.
Now, that projected year-end deficit is $6.4 million.
“It’s something that we can’t necessarily predict because of the inmates that we get and the level of care that they will need,” Joel Bugay, the assistant county administrative officer, said during the board meeting.
In a follow-up email to The Fresno Bee, Bugay said that the cost of private security to the county increased three-fold this year compared to last year. “That is driven by the number of inmates requiring stays in medical facilities and their actual lengths of stay.”
The three high-needs inmates — an 85-year-old charged with murder, a 39-year-old charged with murder and a 32-year-old charged with sex crimes against a minor — were in skilled-care facilities at the same time between January and March. The county paid for private security to monitor them while they were in those facilities.
The county’s 2023-2024 budget allocated $300,000 to the Sheriff’s Office to pay for private security for inmates in health-care facilities.
Madera County Assistant Sheriff Brian Esteves said in an interview with The Bee that the county is obligated by state law to provide this care.
“I know these costs are high, but anytime someone dies in our custody, we typically get some sort of claim of wrongful death,” he said. “The fees to defend the county against those claims typically run just as much, if not higher, than the treatment you need to give them in the first place.”
Citing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, which protects citizens’ privacy regarding medical issues, Esteves said he could not reveal why the three suspects needed to be in skilled-care facilities. He said paying for private security is cheaper than having correctional officers monitor inmates at health-care facilities long-term.
None of the three inmates remain in the skilled-care facilities, and only one remains in the custody of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Esteves said.
A $6.4 million year-end budget deficit
The Board of Supervisors on May 7 voted to use $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to help offset the $6.4 million that the county expects to be facing by the end of the year. The county also implemented a selective hiring freeze on county jobs, with the following allowable exemptions:
▪ The vacant positions are 100% funded by state, federal or other third-party sources.
▪ The vacancy is a department head.
▪ The vacancy, if not filled, will result in the county not meeting a state or federal mandate.
▪ The vacancy, if not filled, will cause unexpected costs that undermine the benefits of keeping the job unfilled.
▪ The vacancy, if not filled, will have a direct negative impact on public safety.
“Also, we’re identifying budget reduction options with each department,” said Bugay, the assistant county administrative officer. “We have been doing that ongoing as part of budget negotiations so that those can be considered in an in a systematic manner as part of the proposed (2024-2025) budget.”
