What Happens When A Recession Hits the Jail?
Okay, it’s not the same as a tornado but it may have some of the same effects, convicted people being let loose. The only difference is with the poor economy and lack of staffing, the inmates at Larimer County jail are being turned loose in unprecedented numbers.
The jail is not turning serious violent felons loose, however. They are overcrowded, seriously understaffed and this seems to be the last option on how to handle the crunch.
Larimer County took $1.8 million from the Sherriff’s budget this year, resulting in 18 layoffs, according to this Denver Post article. In the interest of staff safety and jail effectiveness the population then had to be reduced.
One staff member cannot effectively handle 72 inmates. It’s not safe for the staff and it’s definitely not safe for the inmates either. There has been an increase in violence and threats on staff.
The County is already releasing some offenders for good behavior and they are looking to arrest and release people charged with less serious crimes. “Pending a judge’s approval” the county will release those arrestees on their own recognizance (promise to return) or on a cash bond.
Only those people who pose a physical threat to themselves or someone else, or who are accused of assault or murder will have to be held until their court date.
Times are definitely changing. While releasing the accused on their own recognizance is nothing new, it has never been done at this level, across the board. It does seem, at this point that the County has no other choice in order to maintain the safety of all parties and some type of order in the jail.
This change and the budget crunch may increase the chance that someone found guilty of an offense like DUI will serve probation rather than an active jail sentence. Having an experienced defense attorney can also increase those chances.