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Council considers opening Oxbow to relieve overcrowded S.L. County jail

This is a nice idea but there has been a shortage of staff at the jail for the past 2 years. The jail was running on mandatory overtime last year and the officers absolutely hated it. Opening Oxbow should be planned and implemented with proper staffing. If it is done ASAP the county risks already overworked officers quitting just so they can get a day off.

I thought is was the Republican Council that voted last year to keep it mothballed? Didn't Corroon and the Council Democrats want to get it ready for such a case as this? I remember a 5-4 vote about this...

Crockett, stop politicizing the issue in an election year. We all agree that crime is bad and babies are cute.

Corroon has always pushed for alternatives above jail bed space - and he may very well have been right. The Dems only got religion when they decided to support the Dem sheriff - but they wanted nothing to do with protecting victims by increasing the DA's staff; I can't imagine why. They never supported the idea when the previous sheriff was in office (yes he was a republican).

As for Crockett, He has been in front on this issue for a long time.

First of all putting deadbeat fathers in jail for failure to pay child support is stupid. The problem is they're not paying. They're certainly not going to make up for that when they're in the slammer earning .11 for washing dishes. How about heavy fines, interest, maybe some community service would make a suitable punishment as well. At least that way they'd be contributing to society.

Secondly, if we're going to spend all this money on more staff and cells and things, we should also spend money on rehabilitation so once these criminals are let out, they won't go back.

Corroon only responds to the blowing winds of public opinion polls. He, and several of his Democratic council members, have pushed for "alternatives" to jail which have been little more than a mockery. While basking in the glow of the soccer stadium issue, he was not minding the store while criminals were given a a "get out of jail" card for the past four years. The press should also be held accountable for their lack of interest in what might be one of the most important issues facing Salt Lake County.

From County Council (Committee of the Whole) Minutes 11/13/07, pp. 9-11:

* Sheriff Winder requests $5.9m to reopen Oxbow Jail, including 57 FTEs.

* Mayor Corroon proposes not to reopen Oxbow jail now but to spend $610,000 to have it ready if needed.

* Councilmember Bradley moves to approve Mayor's proposal. Hatch second.

* Councilmember Jensen substitute moves to not open Oxbow, not spend $610,000 to get it ready if needed, but to spend $610,000 on a criminal justice system master plan. Allen second.

The Jensen substitute motion to neither open nor prepare Oxbow jail passes 5-4 on a partyline vote; Republicans (including Crockett) in favor, Democrats against.

The Dems on the Council have taken another schizophrenic position. They moved for "alternatives to incarceration" when a republican sheriff was in office - but when a dem is in office - they want to open up the County coffers and raise taxes to build his empire. Jensen and Crockett knew that we didn't need the space then - so did Peter Corroon.