Cowlitz County Jail Charging Admission

Sat., Sept. 23, 2000

From Staff

Starting Oct. 1, it will cost you $10 for the privilege of staying in the Cowlitz County Jail.

County commissioners approved the booking fee recently in hopes it would raise as much as $25,000 a year.

“The message I get from the public is to get every dollar I can from these people,” said Corrections Director Bill Weiss.

The state last year approved a law letting counties charge the fees. Chelan County has charged a similar fee since then.

Innocent inmates will be reimbursed if they provide evidence of their acquittal.

Defense lawyers said they worried poor convicts would have trouble scraping up $10.

No one will be turned away for want of the $10, but corrections officers said they will collect the fee if friends or relatives send money for commissary items.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.