§ 45-38-230 — Operation of Jail Store

(a) The Sheriff of Lamar County or the authorized agents of the sheriff may operate a jail store for prisoners within the confines of the county jail. The jail store shall be operated to serve the needs of the jail population.
(b)(1) The sheriff shall establish and maintain a law enforcement fund in a bank located in Lamar County. All proceeds collected under this section shall be deposited by the sheriff into the law enforcement fund.
(2) The sheriff shall keep an account of all jail store sales and transactions of the law enforcement fund for annual audit by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. The jail store account and law enforcement fund shall be audited at the same time that other accounts of the sheriff are audited. The Department of Examiners of Public Accounts shall submit a copy of the audit to the sheriff within 30 days of its completion.
(c) All profits realized in the operation of the jail store shall be expended at the discretion of the sheriff for law enforcement purposes in Lamar County that are in the interest of the public.
(d) The establishment of the law enforcement fund and the use of the proceeds shall not diminish or take the place of any other source of income established for the sheriff or the operation of the office.
(e) Any actions relating to the operation of a jail store in the county jail prior to May 21, 1996, are ratified and confirmed. Any existing proceeds derived from the operation of a jail store in the county jail prior to May 21, 1996, shall be deposited into the law enforcement fund created by this section.

Legislative History

(Act 96-621, p. 990, §§1-5.)