Beach sheriff drops home monitoring, work release

VIRGINIA BEACH

Since the early '90s, some convicted nonviolent offenders have had the opportunity to serve their jail time from home and continue working.

GPS-enabled bracelets made the Electronic Home Monitoring and Work Release programs possible. More importantly, criminal defense attorneys say the programs allowed people to be punished for their crimes while still contributing to society, keeping their homes and providing for their families.

But after the state's $4.2 billion budget shortfall, Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle ended the two programs last month. With nearly $6 million in budget cuts on the table for the Sheriff's Office, Stolle said he could no longer justify the programs' roughly $120,000 annual cost.

Finding ways to save money has been Stolle's principal task since he took office Jan. 1. He has said his goal is to avert layoffs and avoid compromising jail or court security when the General Assembly hands down its final budget reductions in March. The cuts could reach roughly $5.7 million over two years, or 7.7 percent of the Sheriff Office's $37 million annual budget.

If that happens, 60 to 90 deputies could lose their jobs if savings aren't found elsewhere, Stolle said. Sheriffs and police chiefs around the commonwealth have also said that state cuts will cost jobs and service reductions in their departments.

Stolle has frozen vacant positions and commissioned a systemwide audit of the Sheriff's Office. He ha s also notified all of the office's vendors that he is reviewing their contracts and may look to terminate or re negotiate them. Contracts under review include those for the jail's food and medical services, he said.

Operating the jail is the office's biggest expense, besides providing court security, serving civil papers and offering community programs, such as drug education in schools.

The city supplements the sheriff's budget, and may also make cuts this year. Officials have proposed ending the deputy-run Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, program.

"I don't think the public would support cutting DARE," Stolle said.

When the Electronic Home Monitoring and Work Release programs ended last month, 14 people were participating, Stolle said. Most were given credit for the time they served and released. One returned to prison and one to jail. About 20 people participated last year, he said.

Other local sheriff's offices have also reduced or eliminated their own prisoner early-release programs, including Chesapeake, Stolle said.

"The decision was very simple," he said. "I've got millions of dollars of cuts I have to make and this program, although it has some benefits, it doesn't outweigh other security interests and concerns that I have."

Several criminal defense attorneys lamented the programs' end.

"It's really unfortunate that any aspect of criminal justice services has fallen victim to budget cuts," said attorney Bob Morecock. "I think people can do a lot and can have a much more positive experience when they can give back to the community or work, as opposed to sitting in jail."

The Sheriff's Office only offered Electronic Home Monitoring or Work Release to inmates when mandated by the court, Stolle said.

For those given the opportunity, the programs helped prevent their families from becoming victims as well, attorney Mark Del Duca said.

"Obviously he has to deal with a lot of budget constraints, and I understand his position," Del Duca said of Stolle. But "it is a great program and hopefully will come back again."

Kathy Adams, (757) 222-5155, kathy.adams@pilotonline.com