Planning For the Next Step
We can't allow ourselves to get bogged down on the county jail issue.
There are other things we could be doing but public safety in terms of a new jail facility has taken a back seat to other amenities for far too long and must be addressed.
As we eventually come out of recession there should be consensus about this issue.
I have heard from those of you who feel the community would benefit more from shifting the focus to other projects. Youth centers, libraries, better public facilities, just to name a few.
I plan to be stubborn about this.
The tendency here is to enter into lengthy "cart before the horse" discussions about treatment, or alternatives to jail. There is time to put those things into play but without a system in place that provides definite sanctions with sure and certain consequences the outcome is less desirable when putting rehab programs in place.
When a judge rules that a person is to be held, that needs to happen. Jail staff need a safer environment in which to work. The transition center is a great option under circumstances where an inmate qualifies for that route but it was never intended to replace jail time for everyone in the system.
It is time to lay plans now and to support our local law enforcement in that effort.
2 comments:
I say, set those County Commissioners egos from the Lee Era aside, adopt Sheriff Tom Bergin's very workable and practical concept for an enhanced existing Sheriff Department/Jail, merge the Transition Center into the Sheriff's Department and let's get on with it.
As it was with the College, we can split hairs on minor issues forever but, the time has come to act, in my view.
Convince the rest of the public we need a new and better jail. I am not convinced!
Teens need a safe gathering place, yes, just as seniors have a need.
I don't want to be known as a town who refused to build a teen center, instead wants to build a new enhanced jail.
The transistion center was built for over-flow and to help inmates get on the right track, if it were never intended to replace jail time, why was it built?
I remember reading on a forum about a guy who sat in our jail for over a year, waiting for another trial or plea bargain. His space could have been housed at the transistion center, he could have worked to help pay his way, leaving a bed for another inmate.
I wonder how many more inmates are just taking up space when there is room at the transistion center.
You have some homework to do Tom, study the transistion center and get back to us.
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