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

"As crime decreases, what do we take cops off the street? It makes as much sense as taking beds away," he said.

Kennard said there is still a need for jail beds but the courts and law enforcers need to be more selective over who is sent to jail and who is sent to a treatment facility.

Jail space is also needed for sanctions for the treatment programs, according to Kennard. If offenders are sent to a treatment program, there needs to be a sanction to send them back to jail. But if the jail is already full because of reduced bed space, "then we are failing on both ends," he said.

Even though Kennard is pleased with the justice council's recommendation, he said it may not do much good for the immediate future. He doesn't expect the County Council to even respond to it until the new year.

Meanwhile, the sheriff has to close 120 beds at the jail by Jan. 1 to be in compliance with the resolution. Already Kennard has closed one unit at the jail, meaning 64 inmates were given early release. He is now in the process of deciding who the next group of 64 inmates will be.

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com