26/05/2026
I believe in protecting taxpayers while ensuring the jail remains constitutional, fair, transparent, and focused on accountability.
Hall County taxpayers should not continue carrying the growing financial burden of housing convicted offenders without pursuing responsible cost-recovery measures and demanding fair reimbursement from the State of Georgia.
Currently, the average daily cost to house an inmate at the Hall County Jail and Correctional Institute ranges from approximately $45 to $60 per day depending on staffing, medical needs, security requirements, and operational expenses.
While the State of Georgia currently provides a subsidy of approximately $24 per day for sentenced inmates awaiting transfer increasing to $30 per day beginning on day 16 Hall County taxpayers are still left covering an estimated $20 to $40 per inmate, per day. That burden ultimately falls on hardworking citizens.
That must change!
My Plan
As Sheriff, I will pursue a fiscally responsible, legally sound, and transparent Pay-to-Stay and Booking Fee Accountability Program designed to reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers while preserving constitutional protections and ensuring fairness.
Pay-to-Stay Program
Under the proposal:
Convicted inmates serving sentences longer than 90 days may be assessed a capped housing fee of up to $25 per day.
No inmate would be denied medical care, food, legal access, or constitutional protections because of inability to pay. Failure to pay would never result in extended incarceration or unlawful punitive action.
The program is intended to create accountability for individuals who possess the financial means to contribute toward the cost of their incarceration instead of placing the entire burden on Hall County taxpayers.
Booking Fee Program
A one-time $50 administrative booking fee would be assessed upon conviction or guilty plea to help offset the costs associated with:
1. Arrest processing
2. Fingerprinting
3. Medical screening
4. Intake classification
5. Administrative handling
6. Records processing
Safeguards Include:
1. Indigent hardship exemptions
2. Payment plan options when appropriate
Holding the State Accountable
Hall County taxpayers should not indefinitely subsidize the State’s incarceration responsibilities.
I will aggressively demand at the state level for:
1. Full reimbursement of inmate housing costs
2. Faster inmate transfer timelines
3. Increased state funding support for local detention facilities
4. Relief for counties burdened by overcrowding and rising
correctional expenses
If the State expects Hall County to continue housing state inmates, then the State should pay the full and actual cost of incarceration.
Revenue Reinvestment Priorities
Any revenue generated through this program should remain dedicated to strengthening and improving detention services.
Funding Priorities Include:
1. Deputy recruitment and retention
2. Jail medical and mental health services
3. Technology and security upgrades
4. Training and officer safety initiatives
These funds will remain focused on improving public safety not expanding government bureaucracy.
This platform is about:
A. Protecting taxpayers
B. Promoting accountability
C. Strengthening jail operations
D. Demanding state responsibility
Hall County deserves a Sheriff’s Office that is tough, responsible, transparent, and committed to both public safety and fiscal accountability.
