Audit flags payments to Bristol for ICE inmates
A state audit has called out the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office over payments it gets from the federal government to keep roughly 200 illegal immigrants locked up.
The sheriff didn’t transfer $348,922 in reimbursements from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement back to the state treasurer or enter the funds into the state’s accounting system, Auditor Suzanne Bump said.
The office also hasn’t renegotiated its contract with ICE since 2010, didn’t properly document credit card spending or submit reports on the cost for custody of inmates in fiscal years 2016 and 2017, an audit states.
Bump’s audit, which examines the period of July 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2017, makes recommendations to the sheriff’s office to improve its financial management and reporting.
Bristol Sheriff Thomas Hodgson called the audit “fair criticism” and said ICE payments were submitted to the state, but to a different bank.
“We’ll correct that right away. The money was just in the wrong account,” said Hodgson, who did object to the recommendation he renegotiate with the feds over housing ICE detainees.
“We’re not a factory asking for more money. We’re in the business of running things efficiently,” the sheriff said.
Bristol County holds approximately 1,500 men and women who are either sentenced, awaiting trial or in the process of being deported in North Dart- mouth and New Bedford. The office has an annual operating budget of approx- imately $42 million. Bump’s office also called on the sheriff to submit inmate cost-analysis reports and itemized receipts for credit card spending.
Other concerns about the conditions at the jail were reviewed, Bump said, but were not subject to a full audit.
“We took seriously community concerns that were relayed to us,” Bump said, “but did not find anomalies in the Sheriff ’s operations.”
She added “questions” about Hodgson’s support for President Trump “are matters best left to the voters.”