State Rep. Mack Butler, who represents Etowah and St. Clair Counties, introduced a bill on Monday creating a local constitutional amendment providing that the Sheriff of Etowah County must deposit into a special account all excess allowances given for feeding prisoners. The excess funds can then be used for designated law enforcement purposes.

Butler’s legislative action comes as Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin has been receiving national attention for legally pocketing more than $750,000 in excess jail-food allowances over the past three years.

Section 36-22-17 of the Code of Alabama currently allows county sheriffs to “keep and retain” excess allowances for feeding prisoners, unless otherwise instructed by the county.

“We’ve all known about this ancient law for some time but not what extent the profit was,” Butler told Yellowhammer News.

Butler said he suspects that Entrekin’s profit was so high because he also manages feeding federal detainees at the Etowah County Detention Center, for which he receives $4 per capita per day from the federal government. For feeding inmates in county jails, sheriffs receive $1.75 per capita from the state.

The text of Butler’s amendment is based off one that Rep. Corey Harbison (R-Cullman) proposed in February specific to Cullman County. Harbison’s amendment directs excess allowances into a special account called the “Sheriff’s Discretionary Fund.” It also requires the sheriff to receive an annual salary equal to that of the county’s probate judge.

Butler’s measure does not include any language regarding the sheriff’s salary, but he said he would consider addressing it in the future if it were a problem.

If the amendment gets through the Legislature, voters will see it on ballots this November.

“Ultimately gives the power to the people to support this,” he said. “If the people like it this way, they can leave it how it is. If they want it changed, they can change it.”

(Image: Yellowhammer News Graphic)