Similar programs are offered in other California cities including Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Glendale and Roseville.

The ACLU has criticized the pay-to-stay program, calling it "a jail for the rich.''

But Fremont officials say the program can help the city pay for the operation costs of its detention facility, which often sits nearly empty.

"The jail has 58 beds, but at any one time on the weekend we're lucky if we have a dozen people using it," Devine said. "We have a lot of unused capacity, so we have unused taxpayer-invested money just sitting there."

According to the Argus, the city's jail spends $8.35 per day per inmate, so even if only relatively few people choose the pay-to-stay option, the city could turn a net annual profit.

pay to staypay to stay

Fremont to Begin Offering 'Pay to Stay' Program at Its Jail