It looks like playing cards and plastic bowls are going to get more expensive at the Larimer County Detention Center. County officials are looking to create a program called "Step Up" to provide housing, employment, and substance abuse assistance for inmates released from lockup.
According to an article in the Ft. Collins Coloradoan (full article), a collection of interviews at LCDC indicated that 91% of the adult inmates locked up in the county have been previously incarcerated during their adult lives. (36% as juveniles).
"Inmates who volunteer for the program would be turned over to the Community Corrections program, which already offers programs to help inmates transition into society."
"Our goal is to start them on the inside and get them going with a program and make sure there's continuity without any gaps"
Says Laurie Stolen, Program Manager, LCDC.
Ok....Back the truck up for a minute.
The last thing an inmate needs is more time in the system. If Larimer County is serious about preventing recidivism, they wouldn't lock people up for STUPID SHIT like "dog at large." Any one who lives here knows that the Larimer County Sheriff's Department and/or the City of Fort Collins Police Services are downright quixotic in their pursuit of law and order.
According to their own figures, 2004 saw 12% of the inmate population serving time on TRAFFIC OFFENSES. 12 percent? my god folks, pull your head out of your ass.Check out the blotter for September 28th. These guys are really bored.
Another figure I found interesting was that almost exactly the same percentage of inmates were there pre-trial (awaiting sentencing) as were there serving a sentence. For those that can't read my run-on sentences, the county graciously provided a pie chart. check it out:
(gray=pretrial, maroon=sentenced, blue=held)
My points are these:
Larimer County has budget problems, constantly. They use the criminal justice system as a revenue generator. It is no accident that there are as many people doin time waiting for trial as are doing time after trial. It is no accident that every bed is filled at almost all times at this facility. It is no accident that the state pays the county on a per-head basis for each inmate currently "enjoying" their "country club"-like hospitality. It is no accident that most (nonviolent) inmates are released after serving about 65% of their sentence. What better way to insure a full house than arbitrary detention spans?
It's time for Larimer County to own up to its revolving door policy for inmates. I'm not saying in any way that they're being soft on crime, but they seem to have set up a de-facto frequent flier program for people in this county. The police in this area operate like catch-and-release fishermen. If they want to solve the problem of people bouncing back and forth in and out of jail, they simply need to stop fucking with people and go after the ones who (actually) need to be locked up. Under the current system, if you're serving probation on a traffic ticket and your dog runs away, it wouldn't surprise me if you did some time. It's all-out insanity.
This "Step Up" proposal is going to be paid for through an "inmate welfare fund" which will be populated by a percentage of what inmates pay in the form of
1) Co-pays
2) Food
3) toiletries
After inmates already pay $35 dollars for the privilege of being booked (you don't even have to count it out for them, they take it right out of your wallet!), they're going to go after their commisary money. I fail to see how making a stretch more uncomfortable will have a positive impact whatsoever.
Judging by my own interaction with the beaurocrats who run Larimer County, this 100,000 dollar/year spending will probably be pissed away on tasers and police cars.
Wake up guys! The cause of recidivism is incarceration!
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