This is an early chapter in the book I am finishing. what a journey it has been. In this chapter Jamie is still at the jail after his arrest, before he is sent to the first prison in LaMesa, Texas. He is having problems coping. I haven’t had enough time for writing blog posts, so for those who are new to Jamie’s story – this chapter is important.
This is an early chapter in the book I am finishing. what a journey it has been. In this chapter Jamie is still at the jail after his arrest, before he is sent to the first prison in LaMesa, Texas. He is having problems coping. I haven’t had enough time for writing blog posts, so for those who are new to Jamie’s story – this chapter is important.
WDRB: Cash bail system traps the poor in jail, reformers say
WDRB: Cash bail system traps the poor in jail, reformers say
“Right now, you can have two people charged with the exact same crime and one gets out of jail because they can afford” to pay, said Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, who sponsored the Senate bill. “It’s truly based on financial means and nothing else. How do you level the playing field?”
Cash bail system traps the poor in jail, reformers say Friday, March 2nd 2018, 2:52 pm EST by Jason…
The Falling Rain - Chapter from Inside The Forbidden Outside
The Falling Rain – Chapter from Inside The Forbidden Outside
THE FALLING RAIN “You need to flush the goddamn toilet. You can’t leave it like that,” Jamie exploded. He raised his voice louder than the sound in the room, yelling at the man walking away from him. He was tired of smelling everyone’s crap. Some men have the worst toilet habits like they we’re raised by animals. They can’t flush or wipe the seat if they mess it up. The next man has to…
LET’S TRY A NEW STRATEGY TO COMBAT JAIL OVERCROWDING
by Mark Stephens, District Public Defender
In a September 30, 2015, article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Gerald Witt writes about the problem of jail overcrowding in Knox County. The article highlights a letter Sheriff Jones sent to the County Commission addressing the issue. In that letter Sheriff Jones writes, "The issue is not efficient use of our facilities; it is the result of an ever growing population and lack of bed space to accommodate. Resolving these issues required (sic) extensive planning, bidding, and construction.” The Sheriff goes on to say, "I also feel that the concepts of a safety center, as we have previously discussed, removing non-violent addicts, drunks, and the mentally ill from our jail system will ultimately impact the overall criminal justice system."
If we have learned anything about jail populations over the last thirty years it's that we can't build our way out of this problem. In 2007, Knox County residents were told that adding a new Pod to the Detention Facility would "solve" our jail-overcrowding problem—but it hasn't.
Sheriff Jones’ letter references an inability to control the number of "inmates" sent to our local jails. But a significant number of people in our local jails aren't "inmates." They are pre-trial detainees—people, still presumed innocent, who have not been convicted of any offense. In my view, our failure to effectively address jail overcrowding stems not from a lack of beds or the absence of a safety center, but from our consistent refusal to utilize proven, data-driven solutions to reduce our jail’s population of low-risk pre-trial detainees.
A recent study conducted by the Criminal Justice Planning Group for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville found that, among the state’s four largest metropolitan areas, Knoxville maintained the highest percentage of pre-trial felony detainees in our jails, by a considerable margin, and the second highest percentage of pre-trail detainees accused of misdemeanor offenses.
Over the last few years many jurisdictions have turned to pre-trial risk assessment tools to reduce their jail populations, and these data-driven, evidence-based tools have brought about transformational change in criminal justice. With the goal of making the system safer, fairer and less costly, risk-assessment tools, which are in use in neighboring states like North Carolina and Kentucky, have improved how pretrial decisions are made, and the impact on jail populations has been stunning. In Charlotte, following a one-year trial with a risk assessment trial, the jail population was reduced by 20%. And, critically, Charlotte and other jurisdictions have seen no increase in crime or failure to appear in court among this population.
Pre-trial risk assessment tools should be thoughtfully vetted for use in Knox County before we commit to the construction of a new Pod at the Detention Facility or a Safety Center.
Let me be very clear, however: I think our current practice of incarcerating people whose criminal behavior is the result of mental illness is disgraceful. Consequently, I cannot categorically oppose a Safety Center solution, but before Knox County builds a safety center, we need to see a carefully drafted, data-supported plan—a plan that quantifies both the specific reduction in jail populations and the costs associated with those reductions.
This time, let’s try a new approach to combat our jail-overcrowding problem.
Law Enforcement Admits Jail Realignment Has Been A Game Changer
Law Enforcement Admits Jail Realignment Has Been A Game Changer
It’s been a little more than 36 months since the controversial California inmate realignment took place; since that time, certain sentenced inmates are serving their time at county lock ups instead of state prisons.
The shift was in response to a flurry of lawsuits relating to poor conditions, abysmal medical care and widespread overcrowding. Eventually, the Supreme Court intervened and ordered…
Law Enforcement Feels Prop. 47 Will Harm Public Safety
Law Enforcement Feels Prop. 47 Will Harm Public Safety
The official name of Prop. 47, a ballot initiative that will be brought to voters in the November election is the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act”; opponents say that Prop. 47 is anything but that.
Others say voters need to educate themselves as to the true pros and cons.
The good
If the measure is passed, it will reduce a number of felony offenses to be misdemeanor crimes. This includes…
In the wake of California’s prisoner realignment program, county lockups have found themselves needing to resolve two key things. Number one, many of these facilities are old and in dire need of replacement or upgrades.
Number two- the detention centers need to better plan for how to hot only hold more inmates, but how to handle long-term housing, health care needs of those who are serving time.
