Sheriff saving taxpayers money by using commissary to fund projects

BEDFORD – Lawrence County Sheriff Greg Day presented the last six months of the commissary report

“We have funded more than $470,000 in projects from this fund, saving taxpayer funds,” added Sheriff Day. “Over the last six months, the balance increased by $16,000.”

Sheriff Greg Day

A prison commissary or canteen is a store within a correctional facility from which inmates may purchase products such as hygiene items, snacks, and writing instruments. Typically, inmates are not allowed to possess cash; instead, they make purchases through an account with funds from money contributed by friends or family members or earned.

Money made from the commissary is then placed in the commissary fund. It can be used to purchase merchandise for resale to inmates through the commissary, pay expenses to operate the commissary, special training for law enforcement employees, equipment, including vehicles, computers, software communication devices, office machinery and furnishings, cameras, and photographic equipment, canines, and canine training and equipment, for activities to maintain order and discipline among the inmates of the county jail, including substance abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, drinking and driving and juvenile delinquency.

The sheriff reported 109 inmates in the jail this morning; of those, 86 were males, 23 were females, seven were Department of Correction holds, one was parole hold, and seven were Level 6 felons.