S.F. sheriff ends convicts’ electronic monitoring fees

The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday it will no longer force people convicted of crimes to pay fees for electronic monitoring and community service, announcing the change amid a broader push to wipe out numerous costs assessed by the city’s criminal justice system.

Sheriff Vicki Hennessy said electronic monitoring had cost offenders $125 to sign up and up to $39 a day when they were placed on supervised release. In the department’s Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program, or SWAP, people were charged $100 to sign up and $20 a day to participate in graffiti abatement, recycling, urban reforestation, and art and education initiatives.

Hennessy announced the decision on the same day that Board of Supervisors President London Breed introduced legislation to wipe out a slate of fees that can cost offenders thousands of dollars. Breed said the fees unfairly burden the poor and disproportionately affect people of color, hurting their chance at rehabilitation.

People punished for crimes are often saddled with debt immediately upon release from jail and face wage garnishment after finding employment, critics said.

“As a matter of principle, the Sheriff’s Department has agreed to eliminate electronic monitoring fees altogether” to coincide with the proposed legislation, Hennessy said in a statement. “The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department has and will continue to support every effort that helps individuals move beyond their offenses and live successful lives.”

The ordinance introduced Tuesday at the Board of Supervisors targets a set of fees imposed by Superior Court judges that fall under the city’s jurisdiction, including fees assessed by the Sheriff’s Department and probation authorities. Breed said the fees are an inefficient source of revenue, with only 17 percent collected between 2012 and 2016.

Under the legislation, offenders would still be on the hook for restitution costs and bail fees as well as court penalties administered by the state.

“As a matter of principle, the Sheriff ’s Department has agreed to eliminate electronic monitoring fees altogether.” San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky