Channel 11’s Alan Jennings discovered Tuesday that the Allegheny County Jail budget is raising the tax assessment on your house. 

Jennings did some digging to find out if there’s a way to trim the jail budget while keeping the bad guys off the street.

“I don't understand this. People who are not a threat to society, we shouldn't be putting them in jail.  The taxpayers have to pay to house them, feed them, clothe them and make sure they have health care," said councilman Matt Drozd.

Health care costs the county $13 million a year.

The cost to house one inmate is currently $64 per day. With a current inmate population of 2,800, this kicks up the jail budget to roughly $65 million a year.  With health care added on, that’s $78 million a year.

Drozd told Jennings he can save taxpayers millions a year by better managing low-risk offenders.

“Why don’t we just ankle bracelet them and put them in the community to do community service?” asked Drozd.

The Drozd electronic monitoring plan would save taxpayers $21 million a year.  Jennings asked the public what they thought about the plan on Grant Street in Pittsburgh.

"They're monitored, so it’s just the same. That would be just the same as being in jail, so I think that's a good idea to save costs,” said Kathy Brandt.

Council plans on taking its extended electronic bracelet plan to the prison board for approval.