Mark Stoops (Democratic candidate for Monroe County Commissioner, District 2) and I held a press conference on Saturday morning behind the Monroe County Jail.
We are united in our opposition to constructing a new jail in our county. While we have not adequately funded alternative treatments and programming, there are some in county government who would rather invest in buildings than in people.
My view is that we should invest more in “community corrections” – not to warehouse people, but to help people change their lives.
Valeri Haughton and Elizabeth Cure, two Democratic Judicial candidates in Monroe County attended the event. Both of these candidates are opposed to building a new jail as well. Also in attendance, members of Citizens for Effective Justice, New Leaf / New Life, and Decarcerate Monroe County. These grassroots organizations are organized to help reduce recidivism and to prevent the construction of a new jail. The Judges, Sheriff, Prosecutor, existing grassroots organizations, those who are in (or have been in) the corrections system, and interested members of the public need to be engaged in the decision-making process relating to juveniles, adults, work release and community corrections, and whether or not we should build any new facilty (and if so, where).
Mark your calendars! Whether you agree with me or not, please plan to attend the following meetings, organized by the Monroe County Community Corrections Task Force:
ALL meetings are scheduled to run from 5 pm to 7 pm:
- Thursday October 16, at the Nat U. Hill meeting room at the Monroe County Courthouse: Discussion of the proposed juvenile treatment facility with Judge Steve Galvin
- Thursday October 30, at the Monroe County Public Library (Kirkwood Ave): Discussion of work release and community corrections with Sheriff Jim Kennedy
- Thursday November 6. at the Monroe County Public Library (Kirkwood Ave): Discussion of the proposed new jail with Judge Kellans
- Thursday November 20, at the Nat U. Hill meeting room at the Monroe County Courthouse: Discussion of the proposed site plan and master plan (with PMSI, a consulting firm hired by the Monroe County Commissioners).
The statement I read at the press conference appears below.
ALTERNATIVES TO BUILDING A NEW JAIL
A PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT
4 OCTOBER 2008
It is estimated that the cost of constructing a new jail will run from $ 40 to $ 60 million. In addition to the base cost, we would be responsible for paying the interest on the debt – millions each year – AND we would pay an increased cost to operate the new facility. It is estimated that while we currently spend $ 2.8 million to operate our jail, the new facility will cost more to operate – up to $ 5 million per year.
This debt and the higher cost of operations is an increased financial burden on our community that we cannot afford. Poverty in our community must be addressed as a means to reduce our jail population – but poverty in our community will only be exacerbated if we add more debt to our community.
In a 2007 census at the Monroe County jail, female inmates had an average of 7 prior arrests and 4 prior convictions. Male inmates had an average of 10 prior arrests and 5 previous convictions. Of the 251 inmates in jail on the day of the census, just THREE were in jail for the first time!
As a community, we ask our judicial and law enforcement agencies to solve our social problems. If we adequately address poverty, mental health issues, addiction, unemployment and underemployment, and the need for education and vocational training, we will go a long way toward reducing our jail population. Providing a work release program outside of the current jail will provide immediate relief to some of the overcrowding in the jail. It is something the County must act on quickly – as the Sheriff has announced that due to the shortage of space in our jail, he will no longer house work release inmates.
I will engage grassroots organizations such as New Leaf/New Life, Citizens for Effective Justice, and Decarcerate Monroe County to help us define (and redefine) community needs – and to provide guidance on alternative programming. Thanks to groups such as these, our community has an active coalition of folks who are opposed to building a new jail and involved in efforts to reduce recidivism.
The Sheriff’s Department, the Board of Judges, Probation, and the Prosecutor’s office have worked with a number of local agencies to make great strides in addressing some of these issues. But it is clear from our growing jail population that we need to do more.
Mental health, addiction treatment, vocational and educational programming, and a wider range of alternative sentencing options will increase our current costs – however, it will cost less than it will to build a new jail.
I prefer to invest in people rather than buildings.
