Schuylkill County supervision fees go to general fund

Crime pays in Schuylkill County — in fact, the $50 monthly fee defendants pay while they’re on electronic monitoring really adds up.

The money can be allocated at the discretion of President Judge William E. Baldwin. During a meeting Wednesday, the Schuylkill County Commissioners approved a supplemental budget appropriation of $125,000, requested by Baldwin on behalf of the Adult Probation Office, to be put into the county’s general fund. Baldwin transferred $191,990 from supervision fees into the general fund in September.

From 2017 to 2018, the number of offenders released, but on electronic supervision, was about 2,000. From 2018 to 2019 that number has increased to about 2,400. In November, Neil Stefanisko, head of Adult Probation, asked for $14,000 from the county’s general fund for additional staff, which the commissioners approved.

Stefanisko said then that the number of individuals on electronic monitoring averaged from 150 to 200 per day. Staff to supervise the program includes officers and clerical support staff.

Another positive budget adjustment came from the Office of Senior Services, which has $325,188 in unused funds from its 2019 budget for operational costs. The money will be put into program services, according to County Director of Finance Paul Buber.

Similarly, in September, the Office of Senior Services was able to direct $284,932 back into program funding. Some of the programs which have benefited are Consumer Services in the OPTIONS Program (Personal Care and In-Home Meal Services) and Protective Services Program for Legal, Psychological Assessment/Consult, Personal Care, In Home Meals, and Overnight Stays.