HOUSE BILL NO. 2879 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 10, 2007 A BILL for the relief of Charles City County. ---------- Patron-- McEachin ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Whereas, Charles City County (the County) is a member of the Riverside Regional Jail Authority, which operates the Riverside Regional Jail; and

Whereas, the other members of the Authority are the Counties of Chesterfield, Prince George, and Surry, and the Cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg; and

Whereas, under agreement between the members of the Authority, the County is financially responsible for each individual held in the jail facility that was arrested within the County's jurisdiction in the amount of $37 per day; and

Whereas, when an individual held in the jail facility is convicted of a felony and sentenced to over one year, this individual is considered a prisoner in the state corrections system; and

Whereas, the Director of the Department of Corrections is required to take prisoners into the custody of the state corrections system within 60 days of the date on which the final sentencing order is mailed by certified letter or sent by electronic transmission to the Director by the clerk; and

Whereas, for the 2005 and 2006 fiscal years, between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2006, several state prisoners have remained in the custody of the Riverside Regional Jail beyond the 60-day period; and

Whereas, since these prisoners were arrested in the County, they remain the financial responsibility of the County until they are taken into custody by the state corrections system; and

Whereas, between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2006, the cost to the County for maintaining the state prisoners was $166,000; and

Whereas, the Department of Corrections has refused to reimburse the County for maintaining the state prisoners in the jail facility; and

Whereas, the failure to reimburse the County for the full amount of the costs of maintaining the state prisoners in the jail facility has resulted in a substantial loss of funds to the residents of the County that could be used for other important projects and services such as emergency medical services and education; and

Whereas, the County has no other means to obtain adequate relief except by action of this body; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  § 1. That there is hereby appropriated from the general fund of the state treasury the amount of $166,000 to be paid by check issued by the State Treasurer on warrant of the Comptroller to Charles City County upon execution by Charles City County of a release of all claims it may have against the Commonwealth or any agency, instrumentality, officer, employee, or political subdivision in connection with the aforesaid occurrence.