The Yolo County Grand Jury says, two years ago, Yolo County Collection Services failed to recover 78 percent or $737,000 in fees owed by probationers.
The panel says employees at the collections and probation departments don't understand the county's billing procedures and don't share pertinent information -like current billing addresses.
Brent Cardall is the Chief Probation Officer. He says the report is accurate and the departments are considering new software to improve clarity and communication. But, he says they will never recover all that is owed.
"The probation clientele -they're really not well-off. A lot of them are unemployed. A lot of them owe child support. There's many that are homeless. There are many on warrant status. So, when you consider those percentages, we'll be lucky to get 50 percent."
The grand jury recommends the probation and finance departments clarify their bills and procedures by the end of September and publish a quarterly fees report.
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