New jails are not the answer
Grits recently posted on the problem facing McLennan County caused by jail overcrowding. McLennan County commissioners recently started discussing whether they need to build a new jail, or contract with a private company to build a new jail. Grits pointed out something I was not aware, although it doesn't surprise me; we have the second highest incarceration rate among counties with more than 200,000. Over half the people in jail are awaiting trial, and more than 20% of those only have misdemeanor charges.
He proposes a couple of things, which I doubt commissioners will seriously consider. One is to increase the use of tickets for certain non-violent offenders. Another was to consider alternatives. like the day reporting program in Tyler. Those obviously make sense, but McLennan County doesn't exactly have a reputation for innovation.
The Courts in McLennan operate efficiently, and make effort to dispose of cases quickly. The number of days a defendant has been in jail is something the judges always know. The problem is that they don't have control over what is being filed. The District Attorney's office in any county has to take primary responsibility for reducing the jail population. They are the ones who file the cases, and decide what charges to file. They are also the ones who basically decide what cases are going to trial; if they don't make reasonable offers, you can't expect defendants to accept them. They also have influence on bail decisions, which forces many defendants to stay in jail while waiting for trial. If you want to reduce the jail population anywhere, the quickest way to do so is to have the District Attorney become involved. In most cases though they are more concerned with putting people in jail, then getting them out.
I remember when the new jail was built. At the time, it was projected to meet the needs of the County far into the future. I had been around long enough to know that was nothing more than a dream. If you the space, it is going to get filled, usually sooner rather than later. The same will be true of any new jail that is built Unless everyone starts concentrating more on keeping people out of jail, we will never be able to keep up with the demand for jail space.
