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Not all inmates are serving sentences for crimes.

Ok, you make a good point, as have others on this thread. I should've clarified and said those individuals convicted of a crime and doing time, should be required to pay something for room and board.

And to those who brought up the debtors' prison argument, I would say that prisoners should be doing something productive and paying back to society while in jail. Whether that's making license plates, or cleaning up roadsides on vacant stretches of highway, there's something they can do.

Prisoners already do that here, the ones who are relatively trustworthy and are working off fines, at the Humane Society, library, recycling centers etc. The city gets their money's worth from them already.

I think the fines imposed are a slippery slope to debtors prison.Those that can pay...walk out the door. Those that can't, stay in jail.

Take for instance a case where two nineteen year old males are charged and convicted of stealing cd's from a store. Both were sentenced to five days in jail and a $500 fine. One served his five days and then his rich daddy paid his fine. The other could not pay and therefore spent three months in jail working off his fine.

And no, I do not think charging prisoners room and board is a good idea for the same reason. Prisoners, equally, should do their time without the prospect of money coming into the picture.