LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Cost to Jail, Prosecute Illegal Immigrants: $75.2 Million
The arrest, jailing and prosecution of illegal immigrants costs the Los Angeles County criminal justice system $75.2 million each year, according to the results of a study released Tuesday.
The report was conducted by the Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee. The committee found that on any given day, illegal immigrants make up 11% of the inmate population at the Los Angeles County Jail.
According to the study, about 40% of all illegal immigrants released from jail were rearrested within the next 12 months. The study tracked 1,933 illegal immigrants through the criminal justice system. About half of the immigrants were returned to their native countries.
The board voted to adopt the report’s recommendations, which include a call for greater cooperation between local and federal agencies and support for legislation providing federal reimbursement to local governments for the cost of arresting and prosecuting illegal immigrants.
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