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: Grits for Breakfast

Counties seek help on jail crowding, diversion

Two stories today related to county jail overcrowding caught my eye:In my hometown of Tyler, Smith County officials have decided to forego a fourth vote on a new jail for the time being, with County Judge Joel Rogers declaring, "Now is not the best time to bring up the bond option, so we have to find other ways to stop the bleeding."That's good news. Jail proponents got their butts whipped in Smith County elections three years running, so it's definitely time they gave it a rest.There ARE ways for Smith and other counties with overcrowding problems to reduce the "bleeding," though, if courts and jails utilize more diversion programs, focusing use of the jail more on safety concerns and less on money making ventures.Meanwhile, the Dallas News today has an editorial about their jail's problems calling for the creation of a new position at the Texas Commission on Jail Standards to consult with counties about jail diversion...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on May 07, 2009 (boomark / email).