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Arrested people could pay $100 booking fee
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Posted on Nov 12 2011
By Haidee V. Eugenio
Reporter
Reporter
People arrested by the Department of Public Safety could be made to pay an estimated $100 in DPS “booking fee” if and when a new revenue-generating bill becomes law.
Rep. Joseph M. Palacios (R-Saipan) formally introduced on Thursday House Bill 17-235, requiring each person arrested and booked by DPS a booking fee “based on the jail’s actual booking costs or $100, whichever is less.”
The fee is payable immediately from any money then possessed by the person being booked, or any money deposited with DPS on the person’s behalf, the bill says.
Palacios said his bill would allow DPS to recoup actual costs associated with the booking and other processing of persons arrested by a peace officer and brought to jail for booking or detention.
“The booking fee will not be predicated off of guilt of innocence; therefore once a person is booked and processed, he or she will be charged the fee,” the bill says.
The cash-strapped government has been looking for ways to generate additional revenues, with its budget now down to $102 million in fiscal year 2012, back to the level of some 20 years ago.
Palacios said in his bill that limited resources has negatively impacted many government agencies that will eventually affect the services that these agencies provide to people.
If the person arrested has no funds at the time of the booking or during the period of incarceration, the DPS commissioner or his appointee may notify the court where the charges related to the booking are pending, and may request the assessment of the fee, the bill says.
