A man who was an inmate at the Marion County Jail for 90 days in 2012 for driving with a suspended license is asking the county to reduce, or release, a civil restitution lien of over $7,000 for his stay at the jail, saying he worked as an inmate worker for 73 days and has paid all the other fines and costs associated with the case.
Robert Strickland’s request for consideration of a reduction and/or release of his civil restitution lien will come before the Marion County Board of County Commissioners during its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 3.
In a letter to the commission sent on May 15, Strickland, who currently lives in Chiefland, requested the reduction in connection with a “2012 judgment resulting from a 90-day jail sentence for driving with a suspended license.”
“Since that time, I have made every effort to correct my mistakes and move forward in a positive direction. I paid all fines related to the charge, had my driver’s license reinstated in 2017, and have maintained it in good standing ever since – without any further suspensions,” reads Strickland’s letter.
In 2019, Strickland says he earned his Class A Commercial Driver’s License. He says that since earning that license, he has been “working hard” and staying on the right path.
“Unfortunately, over the years, the amount owned on this lien has increased significantly due to accumulated interest, making it an even greater financial burden than the original debt. The lien has now remained on my record for over a decade,” reads the letter.
Strickland says having the lien “reduced or waived would be a tremendous blessing” to his family and would “relieve a burden that continues to follow” him from a “mistake” he’s worked hard “to make right.”
“I respectfully ask for your compassion and understanding in considering this request,” ends Strickland’s letter.
In the past, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners has exhibited a pattern of reducing civil restitution liens for each day worked as an inmate worker.
In Strickland’s case, with the removal of the interest and the days he worked, the lien could possibly be reduced to as little as $850, according to past precedent.
Over the past year, several other residents have asked for similar reductions from the board:
- In February, a Marion mother who asked county officials to reduce her $7,195 civil restitution lien so that she can build a harvest market, was told she will still owe $650 for the 13 days ($50 per day) that she was not an inmate worker during her 75-day stint at the Marion County Jail in 2014.
- Last August, a stay-at-home mother and widow, whose sole source of income is monthly Social Security payments, agreed to pay $25 a month towards a $2,800 civil restitution lien that commissioners reduced from $20,000. In that case, the mother, Susan Baccili, had worked 199 days of the 255 days that she was incarcerated.
Inmates may fill out an application to become an inmate worker upon their entry into one of the Marion County Jail’s housing pods. Before they can attain work, inmates must undergo a medical screening and a clearance check to determine their qualifications. That process can take upwards of a week or more, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners next meets on Tuesday, June 3, at 9 a.m., at the McPherson Governmental Complex in Ocala.