In Colbert County, certain people released on a suspended sentence must report to the probation office, and probation officers collect and distribute related fees and payments.
(a) This section shall be applicable only in Colbert County. (b) Any person who has been committed to the county jail in Colbert County under a criminal sentence imposed by the Circuit or District Court of Colbert County, and who has been released on a suspended sentence shall report to the probation office of Colbert County. The probation officer at his or her discretion shall require the person to report at regular intervals, for the sole purpose of the collection of court costs, fines, and other penalties and fees assessed against the convicted person by the probation officer. (c) The probation officers of Colbert County, Alabama, shall remit fines, assessments, court costs, and restitution assessed against the persons to the Colbert County Circuit Clerk. The probation officers shall be allowed to charge the convicted persons a day reporting fee of 20 percent of the net weekly income of the person and may charge a minimum of ten dollars ($10) per reporting for the service. For the purposes of this section, the term “net income” shall be defined as total salaries, wages, and other compensation received by a person committed to a jail in Colbert County for work performed while the person is serving a suspended sentence, less all sums withheld for federal income tax, state income tax, taxes paid by an employee under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, group insurance, and union dues. The court having jurisdiction of the case, as a condition to releasing a prisoner, may require that the prisoner establish a payroll deduction for the payment of any sums due pursuant to this section. (d)(1) The day reporting fee shall be distributed by the probation officers as follows: a. One-half of the fee to the probation officer of Colbert County. The fees distributed to the probation office shall be deposited to a separate fund to be known as “The Colbert County Probation Officers Criminal Justice Fund.” b. One-half of the fees shall be distributed to the Presiding Judge of the Colbert County Circuit Court. The fees distributed to the presiding judge shall be deposited to a separate fund to be known as the “Judges’ Work Release and Criminal Justice Fund.” (2) The funds shall be used by probation officers and judges for education, travel, equipment, and other expenses incurred by them in the exercise of their duties and for the improvement in the criminal justice system. (3) Any person who has been ordered to attend a day reporting system by the appropriate judge and who fails to abide by the order and fails to report pursuant to the court order shall be considered in violation of the suspended sentence, and shall be subject to having the suspended sentence revoked by the court upon application to the court by the probation officer. Further, nothing in this section shall interfere with or prevent the exercise by any court of Alabama of its power to punish for contempt. (e) The procedures described in this section shall be cumulative and in addition to all other bail and release procedures provided by law.