S.L. County approves hold on jail bed closures

The Salt Lake County sheriff got a little extra time Tuesday to meet his mandate of closing down jail beds — and he got a little more money, too.

The County Council approved a request from Sheriff Aaron Kennard and Mayor Peter Corroon to put a 90-day hold on the next round of jail bed closures. That round of closures could mean, among other things, the end of the Correction Addictions Treatments Systems (CATS) drug-treatment program, which Corroon called "a very effective" program in an interview after Tuesday's meeting.

The closures are in response to the council's push for alternatives to incarceration — such as day reporting and outpatient treatment — for people convicted of minor offenses. Judges and the sheriff's office have complained the council's plans take away the criminal justice system's discretion in giving individualized sentences to suit the offender.

The council has required Kennard to cut a total of 300 beds by July. Many of those beds have already been closed, but Kennard said the council should spend the next three months studying some specific questions before any more beds are eliminated.

The sheriff also asked for — and received — an additional $174,000 to fund the beds that will have to stay open.

In approving the 90-day moratorium, Councilman Jim Bradley said "the council's resolve remains strong. But this allows us time."

In a letter to the council, Corroon said there has been a gap between a recent report's recommendations and the reality of the type and number of offenders who should be released. He called for the moratorium to allow the sheriff's office, the mayor's office, the county's Criminal Justice Advisory Council and the council to study some of the specific issues and develop plans for funding that would allow for the CATS program to continue.

Some council members questioned whether the council should approve the moratorium, which was not on the council's agenda, because, as Councilman Michael Jensen said, "This was such a big issue it should have been put on the agenda. We've just spent 25 minutes debating a walk-on issue I think the public would like to know about."

But Bradley said Tuesday's vote didn't limit public input. Instead, he said, it means the issue will be back on council agendas in the months to come, with more time for public participation.

In other county business Tuesday, the council directed the community services subcommittee to examine proposed changes to the county's Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP) tax policies so the council can debate next week the several issues expected to cause disagreement.

Among those issues is the question of whether the boards of ZAP-funded entities should be required to diversify its members in terms of where they live. Councilman David Wilde said too many ZAP programs are overseen by people who live in one city or another, and he would like to see countywide oversight.

He is also worried that proposed changes in funding for ZAP programs that rent offices would hit the Hale Center Theatre in West Valley City unfairly hard. There are other concerns among other council members about funding for specific ZAP programs.

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