Fiscal Highlights - May 2014

The Jail Reimbursement Program provides reimbursement to Utah counties for days spent in county jails by offenders sentenced to jail as a condition of felony probation or by parolees who are held in jail. During the 2009 General Session, the Legislature passed House Bill 220, "State Payment and Reimbursement to County Correctional Facilities." The Legislation assigned management of the program to the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ). However, the program's budget was transferred to the Division of Finance within the Department of Administrative Services. The Division of Finance was tasked with making the annual payments to counties per direction from CCJJ using funds appropriated by the Legislature to the program.

Over time, the Legislature has steadily strengthened and increased the sources of funding for the Jail Reimbursement Program. For FY 2011, the Legislature appropriated $6 million from the General Fund, of which $3 million was ongoing.  The previous fiscal year had only been funded with one-time and nonlapsing balance appropriations. For FY 2012, the Legislature added another $5 million ongoing from the General Fund, nearly doubling the annual program appropriation to $11 million from the previous year. For FY 2013, the $3 million one-time was replaced with $3 million ongoing from the General Fund, for a total ongoing appropriation of $11 million. The Legislature subsequently added another $967,100 for FY 2014 and $1 million for FY 2015.

From FY 2011 through FY 2015, the Legislature has increased the Jail Reimbursement funding by $6,967,100 or more than 116%. The FY 2015 appropriation is $12,967,100 ongoing from the General Fund.