HB426 Summary

• Applies to Geneva County and establishes a Geneva County Rehabilitation Board composed of the sheriff, district attorney, senior circuit judge, senior district judge, and one person appointed by the county commission.

• Permits county jail inmates convicted of any crime to participate in a work release program allowing them to work outside the jail during specified hours while remaining in custody.

• Requires inmates to pay a nonrefundable $50 application fee and obtain court approval before participating; board must investigate employment validity, employer knowledge of inmate status, and inmate agreement to abide by program conditions.

• Directs employer wage payments to a designated board agent with the following priority: 30 percent for jail confinement costs, court-ordered child support, up to 25 percent for court costs and fines, agreed amounts to inmate's family, and remaining balance to a Geneva County Jail Inmate Trust Fund.

• Requires the sheriff to file an annual report within 60 days of fiscal year-end documenting program participation, earnings, disposition of funds, and program effectiveness to the board, county governing bodies, and circuit and district judges.