"We want to pressure the (criminal justice system) to use alternatives to incarceration, because that is in the community's best interest," Councilman Jim Bradley said. "It's easy to go out and say, 'Let's build a new jail,' but that doesn't solve the community problems over the long term."

Winder said he would like to incorporate more alternatives-to-incarceration programs at the jail. But the problem is that all the nonviolent offenders have already been released from the jail in order to regulate the population.

"We are aching to do alternatives to incarceration, but right now, we just don't have the bodies to do it," Winder said.

County officials say these programs will reduce the recidivism rate, as well as ease some of the overcrowding problems at the jail. One program, the Day Reporting Center, is a place where county jail inmates can swap jail time for outpatient treatment.

Winder also wants to house the Corrections Addictions Treatments Systems program, an in-house drug treatment program, at Oxbow, as well as culinary, horticulture, arts and life-skills programs.

---

E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com