The Florida Senate

948.09  Payment for cost of supervision and rehabilitation.--

(1)(a)1.  Any person ordered by the court, the Department of Corrections, or the parole commission to be placed on probation, drug offender probation, community control, parole, control release, provisional release supervision, or conditional release supervision under chapter 944, chapter 945, chapter 947, chapter 948, or chapter 958, or in a pretrial intervention program, must, as a condition of any placement, pay the department a total sum of money equal to the total month or portion of a month of supervision times the court-ordered amount, but not to exceed the actual per diem cost of the supervision. The department shall adopt rules by which an offender who pays in full and in advance of regular termination of supervision may receive a reduction in the amount due. The rules shall incorporate provisions by which the offender's ability to pay is linked to an established written payment plan. Funds collected from felony offenders may be used to offset costs of the Department of Corrections associated with community supervision programs, subject to appropriation by the Legislature.

2.  In addition to any other contribution or surcharge imposed by this section, each felony offender assessed under this paragraph shall pay a $2-per-month surcharge to the department. The surcharge shall be deemed to be paid only after the full amount of any monthly payment required by the established written payment plan has been collected by the department. These funds shall be used by the department to pay for correctional probation officers' training and equipment, including radios, and firearms training, firearms, and attendant equipment necessary to train and equip officers who choose to carry a concealed firearm while on duty. Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to limit the department's authority to determine who shall be authorized to carry a concealed firearm while on duty, or to limit the right of a correctional probation officer to carry a personal firearm approved by the department.

(b)  Any person placed on misdemeanor probation by a county court must contribute not less than $40 per month, as decided by the sentencing court, to the court-approved public or private entity providing misdemeanor supervision.

(2)  Any person being electronically monitored by the department as a result of placement on community control shall be required to pay a $1-per-day surcharge in addition to the cost of supervision fee as directed by the sentencing court. The surcharge shall be deposited in the Operating Trust Fund to be used by the department for purchasing and maintaining electronic monitoring devices.

(3)  Any failure to pay contribution as required under this section may constitute a ground for the revocation of probation by the court, the revocation of parole or conditional release by the Parole Commission, the revocation of control release by the Control Release Authority, or removal from the pretrial intervention program by the state attorney. The Department of Corrections may exempt a person from the payment of all or any part of the contribution if it finds any of the following factors to exist:

(a)  The offender has diligently attempted, but has been unable, to obtain employment which provides him or her sufficient income to make such payments.

(b)  The offender is a student in a school, college, university, or course of vocational or technical training designed to fit the student for gainful employment. Certification of such student status shall be supplied to the Secretary of Corrections by the educational institution in which the offender is enrolled.

(c)  The offender has an employment handicap, as determined by a physical, psychological, or psychiatric examination acceptable to, or ordered by, the secretary.

(d)  The offender's age prevents him or her from obtaining employment.

(e)  The offender is responsible for the support of dependents, and the payment of such contribution constitutes an undue hardship on the offender.

(f)  The offender has been transferred outside the state under an interstate compact adopted pursuant to chapter 949.

(g)  There are other extenuating circumstances, as determined by the secretary.

(4)  In addition to the contribution required under subsection (1), the department may provide a maximum payment of $10 per month for each misdemeanor probationer who is contributing $10 per month to the court-approved public or private entity which is providing him or her with misdemeanor supervision or rehabilitation. The $10 payment set forth herein shall only be for first degree misdemeanors, petty theft, and worthless checks. The department shall make such payment to the court-approved public or private entity which is providing supervision to the offender under this section. Such payment shall be implemented through a contract to be entered into by the Secretary of Corrections and the entity. Terms of the contract shall state, but are not limited to, the extent of the services to be rendered by the entity providing supervision or rehabilitation. In addition, the entity shall supply the department with a monthly report documenting the acceptance of each offender placed under its supervision by the court, documenting the payment of the required contribution by each offender under supervision or rehabilitation, and notifying the department of all offenders for whom supervision or rehabilitation will be terminated. Supervisory records of the entity shall be open to inspection upon the request of the department or its agents.

(5)  As a condition of an interstate compact adopted pursuant to chapter 949, the department shall require each out-of-state probationer or parolee transferred to this state to contribute not less than $30 or more than the cost of supervision, certified by the Department of Corrections, per month to defray the cost incurred by this state as a result of providing supervision and rehabilitation during the period of supervision.

(6)  In addition to any other required contributions, the department, at its discretion, may require offenders under any form of supervision to submit to and pay for urinalysis testing to identify drug usage as part of the rehabilitation program. Any failure to make such payment, or participate, may be considered a ground for revocation by the court, the Parole Commission, or the Control Release Authority, or for removal from the pretrial intervention program by the state attorney. The department may exempt a person from such payment if it determines that any of the factors specified in subsection (3) exist.

(7)  The department shall establish a payment plan for all costs ordered by the courts for collection by the department and a priority order for payments, except that victim restitution payments authorized under s. 948.03(1)(e) take precedence over all other court-ordered payments. The department is not required to disburse cumulative amounts of less than $10 to individual payees established on this payment plan.

History.--s. 18, ch. 74-112; s. 2, ch. 76-238; s. 1, ch. 77-321; s. 1, ch. 77-428; s. 1, ch. 78-368; s. 100, ch. 79-3; s. 1, ch. 84-337; s. 10, ch. 85-340; ss. 58, 73, ch. 88-122; s. 7, ch. 89-526; s. 6, ch. 90-337; s. 1, ch. 91-225; s. 7, ch. 91-280; s. 2, ch. 92-298; s. 4, ch. 94-265; s. 1, ch. 94-290; s. 41, ch. 95-283; s. 51, ch. 96-312; s. 1878, ch. 97-102; s. 8, ch. 98-388.

Note.--Former s. 945.30.