(November 16)   The federal government has provided San Bernardino County with $941,715 for reimbursement of a portion of the costs to incarcerate undocumented criminal aliens in county detention facilities between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011.
That reimbursement represents pennies on the dollar of what the actual costs were, according to sheriff Rod Hoops.
Just before the money was electronically wired into a county account, Hoops’ designated liaison to the board of supervisors, captain Steve Higgins, told the board, “The sheriff’s department estimates its cost to incarcerate undocumented criminal aliens in Fiscal Year 2010-11 was $17.3 million. This State Criminal Alien Assistance Program award, in the amount of $941,715, will reimburse only 5.4% of these costs.”
The U.S. Department of Justice, through its Bureau of Justice Assistance and its State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, annually makes funds available nationwide for the reimbursement of detention costs associated with the incarceration of undocumented criminal aliens who were in custody for four or more consecutive days and convicted of a felony or second misdemeanor.
The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program does not fully reimburse actual cost; instead, data received by all applicants is combined to determine each applicant’s relative percentage of the total program allocation.
On June 26, 2012, the board of supervisors approved an application for the reimbursement of a portion of the costs to incarcerate undocumented criminal aliens for the period of July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The county’s application was successful and funding in the amount of $941,715 has been awarded, resulting in a total of $15.8 million received over the past fifteen years.
Under the terms of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, funds awarded must be used for correctional purposes only.