The Gravy Train Stops Here!

Oklahoma City City Council has voted to require convicted inmates to pay for food and lodging.

Inmates who are imprisoned will be required to pay $150 dollars for the first day, which includes their processing fee, and $35 dollars per day after that to cover housing, food, clothing, medical and dental care and psychiatric services.

They're still getting off pretty cheap, don't you think?

It's a step in the right direction, but here's where it breaks down:

Prisoners will be allowed to protest the fees if they feel they should be exempted on the basis of indigence, financial hardship or if they have a mental illness. City Council members voted unanimously to pass the measure, which is expected to bring in $500,000 in revenue annually but cost $200,000 to administer. The projections are based on expectations that 25 percent of inmates will pay the fees.

What ever happened to "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime?" In my evil NeoCon world, there would be NO exceptions.