PAY AND STAY – AVOID SPENDING TIME WITH THE VENTURA COUNTY JAIL GENERAL POPULATION
Facing jail time for a DUI can be an intimidating – if not outright scary – proposition. Joining the general population of a Ventura or Santa Barbara County jail which includes violent criminals among its inmates hardly seems like reasonable punishment for a simple misdemeanor DUI. Nonetheless, this is the reality that most people face when they plead guilty or get convicted on a DUI charge in Santa Barbara or Ventura County.
If you are eligible, one option which allows you to avoid serving jail time altogether is to serve work release or work furlough. Another option is to pay to serve your jail time away from the general population under what is known as the “Pay and Stay” program.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PAY AND STAY
Under the Pay and Stay program, there are facilities throughout Southern California (mostly in Los Angeles County) that maintain separate housing for people who are willing to pay in order to not serve their time with the general population. For a forty-eight hour sentence, the cost is usually about $300 to $400. But, for the price you typically have your own room, regular access to a television, and better food. As a result, our clients who can afford it are often quite willing to cough up the money for the Pay and Stay program.
Seeking Approval for Pay and Stay
In order to serve your time under the Pay and Stay program, you will need to obtain two orders from the Ventura or Santa Barbara County court hearing your DUI case. You need one order to permit you to serve your sentence outside of the county where you were charged with DUI, and a second order approving your selection of a particular Pay and Stay facility. If you are considering pleading guilty in your DUI case because you are willing to serve time under the Pay and Stay program, we strongly recommend obtaining approval to enter the program before you enter your plea with the court.
Ventura DUI Lawyer for Southern California Pay and Stay
At Strongest Defense, we file all of the necessary applications and motions to help our clients who wish to serve their jail time under the Pay and Stay program. While many individuals who choose Pay and Stay are wealthy or high-profile, we also have many clients of ordinary or modest means who are willing to pay the price in order to feel safe while serving their time – particularly for first-time DUIs with a forty-eight hour sentence.
If you are facing DUI charges in Ventura or Santa Barbara and are interested in the Pay and Stay program, we can evaluate your case; and, if necessary, ensure that you get into the program. To schedule a free consultation, please contact us today.
