If county commissioners decide to go ahead with purchasing software to carry out the billing, a system to charge inmates could be in place by Jan. 1, said Jerry Cook, chief deputy of the county's Corrections Division.

The prisoners would receive a billing invoice after completing their sentence. Those who ignored the bill might be referred to a collections agency, said Deputy County Attorney Dave Wilson.

Only inmates who have been convicted and are under the county jurisdiction would be affected by the program, Cook said.

The state pays Weber County $42.32 a day for each of the 125 state inmates housed in the jail, and the federal government pays $50 a day for each of the 225 federal inmates kept there.

The fee rate and any county revenue goals have yet to be determined.

Cache County has operated such a program since the Legislature authorized inmate billing in May 2003.

County inmates are charged $43 a day, said Sharon Nielson, legal assistant to the Cache County attorney. If inmates participate in work programs, drug court or school, the fee is waived.

The county has collected nearly $53,000, Nielson said.