Jail-bed cutback upsets council

The Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Advisory Council does not like a County Council plan to reduce the number of beds in the Salt Lake County Jail.

The council unanimously voted Thursday to recommend to the Salt Lake County Council that it repeal its resolution to reduce the capacity of the jail from 2,000 to 1,700 beds by July 1, 2006. More than 100 of those inmates have to be released by Jan. 1.

But it may be too late as some inmates have already received an early Christmas present of being released.

The County Council's resolution passed last month also calls for the jail to no longer accept offenders with a class C misdemeanor or class B misdemeanor traffic violation, except for DUI convictions, or federal prisoners with more than a one-year sentence.

Sheriff Aaron Kennard said he "pleaded" with the council when the resolution was first introduced not to go forward with it.

Now the Criminal Justice Advisory Council has added its 2 cents to the controversy.

"The entire committee was quite taken aback by the fact the resolution was made without any input from them," Kennard said.

County Councilman Jim Bradley, however, said he had thought the Justice Advisory Council was on board with the resolution, particularly after agreeing in theory with the council's views on alternatives to incarceration like treatment programs and monitoring devices.

"I'm very surprised that when we codify it in a resolution, they all of a sudden think it's not such a good idea," Bradley said. "If there's a better idea out there in terms of how to limit the population of the jail to those people who are truly a threat to society, then come up with it."

Bradley added that the council adopted the "progressive and enlightened" resolution to combat surging jail numbers. Weeding out criminals that are in jail for fines or minor offenses will help cut down those numbers, as well as help with recidivism rates after offenders receive treatment via new county programs, he said.

"Somebody had to draw the line and say here is what we're doing from here on out."

Gary Dalton, director of the county's Criminal Justice Services, said the advisory committee felt the County Council's resolution would not be effective.

The idea behind the resolution was that the jail's population could be reduced by putting nonviolent offenders in treatment programs as an alternative to incarceration.

Kennard said he is supportive of treatment facilities, but "that shouldn't be at the expense of those who need to be in jail, stay in jail and serve their time and aren't threatening people."

Furthermore, as the population grows, he said it didn't make sense to reduce one facility just to open another.