Comments about ‘Funds OK'd to prepare Oxbow for reopening’

So, let's see here. When the Salt Lake County Sheriff was a Republican, the county didn't have enough money to reopen OxBow jail. Not only that, whenever the idea was brought up, the Democrats on the county council repeated again and again, "NO!"

But now, the country sheriff is a Democrat, and just a few months before Election Day, WHAT DO YOU KNOW, OxBow jail will soon be reopened.

Call me a little skeptical, but this move has "politics" written all over it.

When Oxbow was built, the people in the area were promised it would not become a prison or even a Jail. It was to be the Oxbow Misdemeanment facility, for those convicted of misdemeanors and that many would be leaving during the day for work, but staying there at night.

I think it should be opened, but only if it is for what it was built for. Yes, I realized that when it was designed, it could be converted to become a jail, but SL County should keep it's promise.

Refering to comments from "arc", Oxbow was only a misdemeanor facility for work release, is not completely true. But, i will not convince "arc" otherwise. A jail is a jail, no matter what color you paint it or who you house in it.

Hey rat, the reason Oxbow wasn't opened during Kennard (a Repub) is because it wasn't full when Kennard was Sheriff, duh! Poulation increase and recent aggressive prosecution have filled it up recently.

The plan, to my knowledge (somewhat inside), is to make Oxbow a low-security treatment facility. All those who are in the jail and involved with substance abuse treatment programs like CATS will be moved over to this lower-security facility. This move makes a lot of sense.

Hay Hay Hay, go oxbo.

If you're teaming with criminals, what other option do you have?

Why does America produce more criminals than other nations? There are more jailed in Texas than in Russia.

If the majority has superior morals, why doesn't it reflect in criminal activity?

I've been in places in Mexico where you never had to lock your truck. I've walked streets in Europe and never worried.

Anti-Rat:

Kennard claimed it was full, said it was critical to open ASAP.

Anti Rat has no idea what he's talking about. The Oxbow Jail filled up completely with every expansion that was added to it. I remember it very well. I'm not sure what $640,000 is supposed to accomplish. It is a mere drop in the bucket for what it will take to make that facility fully operational again. The intention is to use it to house prisoners in rehabilitation programs which will be in keeping with a portion of what it was originally designed for.

SL County, if you want to save money, reduce the size of the police forces in the county and cut back on enforcement of the laws. That ought to save money, of course but at the expense of the criminals' victims. By the way a free and open democratic society will always have more property and assault criminals than will a society run by cruel and despotic leadership.