Kennard, Winder spar over priorities

The alternatives to incarceration program is intended to remove nonviolent offenders from the jail and put them into treatment in an effort to reduce the jail population. But the system is designed to fail, as there is no way to know who is in the jail right now. During negotiations throughout the year with the County Council on the alternatives to incarceration program, Kennard was unable to provide basic demographic and statistical information on the jail population.

Kennard's staff had to gather information from thousands of files by hand — a task that could have been done in a matter of minutes through technology.

"The current jail data system is one step up from a card catalogue," Winder said. "I'm astonished that in this era of technological advances, the sheriff has resorted to costly, time consuming, hand-reporting methods to provide the County Council with basic demographic information about our jail population and trends."

Winder said he would make funding a new data management system a priority. He said Kennard just asks for funding as a line item in the budget process, instead of standing up and letting the County Council know how important the issue is.

Kennard flatly disagrees, saying he has asked for funding every year and is continually denied. He said he understands the need for a data management system, and that's why he has continually asked for it.

The current sheriff said he wants to add on other programs at the jail to teach inmates skills so they don't go out and re-offend. He said he wants to open Oxbow jail to start teaching inmates culinary arts, construction and other labor skills. He is also starting an inmate gardening program at the jail, and three acres have already been planted.

"We need to give them something so when they get out, they are able to succeed," Kennard said.

Winder is a 20-year veteran at the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office. He has led the county's special operations, training, investigative and community-oriented policing units. He was also responsible for the training of 6,000 public safety officers for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Kennard has also spent his entire career in public safety. He worked for 19 years at the Salt Lake City Police Department, followed by 16 years of service as sheriff.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com