- Justice Center: 58 jailbeds are empty
- Reading Road: 42 beds are empty
- Turning Point: 11 beds are empty
- River City: 21 beds empty
- Electronic Monitoring Units: 13 less being used than just three days ago
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Strange Numbers
After much discussion in recent days and weeks (and after rejecting Pat DeWine's proposal that we rush headlong into commiting $100,000s in new spending to rent jailspace from Campbell County), today's jail population numbers are puzzling indeed:
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6 comments:
David, Congratulations on your election to the CCAO! What is being done about the lease of the Queesnsgate facility? Are there measures in place to protect us from paying rent and not being involved in a lawsuit? I read the article in the Business COurier yesterday with interest, but I know there is probably more/another side to it. Thanks. Merry Christmas.
Thanks for your nice comment, and your question.
Actually, the Enquirer has a pretty good account on this today (although with a very misleading headline).
As the Enquirer says:
"According to the lease, CCA can be held responsible for making capital improvements at the aging facility [and failure to do so after notice allowed for termination of the lease]. The county provided the company with a list of more than $4.5 million in “urgently needed” repairs including a new roof, heating and air conditioning systems.
In a series of letters between County Administrator Patrick Thompson and CCA Chief Financial Officer Todd Mullenger, CCA said it could not agree to all the repairs, and would get back to the county on the ones it can agree to. The county told CCA its answer was “not responsive” and it therefore it will be terminating the lease. County officials have repeatedly said that the building will become a liability if the repairs aren’t made.""
Also in the Enquirer, CCA spokesman Steve Owen said: “I’m not aware that there would be any push back” on the lease issue.
Those numbers on jail populations make no sense at all. Maybe Leis makes sure that he has a number of beds available for the holiday season and so no mistakes happen on who gets released when many employees are off work???? Not that I'm buying that inevitable excuse ...
Maybe the treatment facilities give "passes" for the holiday?
I am very concerned about the budget just passed by you and Commissioner Portune. I know Commissioner DeWine signed on, too, but the majority of the commissioners are Democrats. Please consider answering these questions:
1. I know COAST and the right-wing nuts wanted you to cut a staffer per commissioner. Was this feasible? Why not? I would prefer some substance to the answer and I don't trust COAST and that crowd to offer me a "real" explanation. If it is necessary to have 2 staffers, I and other reasonable people, are open to convincing.
2. Did O'Dell Owens and his Coronor's office really get spared major cuts? If so, why? Answer the charge that he was spared because he is a popular Democrat.
3. Did Joe Deters and his Prosecutor's office really get spared major cuts? If so, why? Answer the charge that he was spared because he is a popular Republican.
4. The local Republicans allege that you were going to spend more money for a consultant to study employee benefits? Politically, the Republican leader criticizes the Commissioners for use of a "consultant". That is likely a cheap political shot, but is it true? If so, can you explain why that money is needed?
Thank you.
Jim
Hyde Park
58 jail beds empty?
A Common Pleas Judge announced on Tuesday the jail was on lock down & the inmates were allowed out for 1 hour each day.
Either the census numbers are wrong, or there's a shortage of corrections officers to warrant keeping those incarcerated confined to quarters. I trust the Judge as an unimpeachable source of information.
Yes, there was a lock down because an inmate with a immigration hold walked away from a work detail. The holidays will impact bed space utilization as judges tend to be more compassionate.
Looking at the bigger picture, we can see a reduction from 2700 individuals incarcerated 18 months ago to less than 1400. It would seem there should have some middle ground found somewhere rather than resorting to such drastic release measures - despite budget cuts.
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