Pursuant to Penal Code Section 4025, "Store in county jail; authorization; prices; disposition of profit; inmate welfare fund, deposits, expenditures, reports; stores not under jurisdiction of sheriff," commissions received for inmate payphone use, commissary, hobby craft sales, and vending sales shall be deposited in an Inmate Welfare Fund, to be kept in the treasury of the County. The money deposited in the Inmate Welfare Fund shall be expended by the Sheriff primarily for the benefit, education, and welfare of the inmates.
All unit commanders and concerned personnel shall adhere to the following guidelines:
- Inmate Welfare Fund monies and supplies shall not be used to offset necessary and required expenses of confinement such as meals or housing, the facility/station unit commander shall submit a memo to the Inmate Services Unit commander, including the amount of the expenditure and a justification statement explaining why the expenditure satisfies the requirements of Penal Code Section 4025. County purchasing standards shall be followed when submitting the appropriate vendor quotes, approval of expenditure requests shall follow County purchasing standards and guidelines, all requests up to $5,000 are approved by the Inmate Services Unit commander, all requests over $5,000 require approval by the Custody Division Commander and Chief, the Department Legal Advisor, and the Budget Authority. Approved requests are submitted for final approval at the Inmate Welfare Commission meeting, equipment and supplies purchased by the Inmate Welfare Fund shall not be converted for use by Department personnel. Serialized items are fixed assets, which shall be controlled in accordance with the Department Manual of Policy and Procedures, Volume 3, Chapter 6, "Equipment, Supply and Maintenance."
- Inoperable fixed assets shall be salvaged at Central Supply. A salvage slip shall be given to Inmate Services for replacement of specific items.