FAYETTEVILLE -- A program to reduce the number of pretrial detainees in the Washington County jail has helped 25 people gain their release in the past month, but the jail population hasn't declined, according to the sheriff's office.
"They're in here working," Maj. Randall Denzer said Friday of area representatives of The Bail Project. '"They come in three or more times a week. It was kind of a slow start, but they're in here regularly now."
The Bail Project is a New York-based nonprofit organization that provides money for people unable to pay the cost of bail themselves. The organization has established a revolving fund replenished by raising money locally, according to Camilo Ramirez, spokesman for the group.
When people resolve their legal situation -- through acquittals, convictions, plea agreements or other arrangements -- the bail money is paid back to the fund and is used to assist others.
The Washington County jail opened in 2005 with a capacity of 710 beds, but requirements for separating inmates effectively caps the population at somewhere between 570 and 640.
The sheriff's office has been working with the prosecutor's office and circuit judges, releasing about 200 inmates a month for the past several months. Despite those efforts, the number of people taken to the jail exceeds the space available by 70 to 100 people daily.
"We've still got 97 sleeping on the floor today," said Denzer, who oversees the jail. "But I guess if [The Bail Project] hadn't provided bail, we'd have another 25."
Denzer said the sheriff's office provides the group with information about inmates who meet the criteria used by the organization, such as having bail amounts of $5,000 or less and no charges pending in other jurisdictions.
Ramirez said the group's local representatives interview inmates to determine the likelihood of the people complying with the terms of their release, such as making scheduled court appearances, and provide help through reminders and transportation assistance.
The group also works with local organizations and social-service agencies to provide help with housing, medical treatment and employment for those released, Ramirez said.
The initial results in Washington County mirror what the group has experienced in other areas, Ramirez said.
"It's very typical," Ramirez said. "When we first start, we're very cautious. We want to be sure we're able to support those people who are in need of additional help."
Ramirez said the group's operation in Louisville, Ky., began slowly, along the lines of the Washington County operation. The Louisville operation was able to bail out about 1,100 people in the first year, Ramirez said.
Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder said the work of The Bail Project doesn't change how the jail operates.
"They provide bail for people who can't provide it themselves," Helder said. "It's no different than somebody's mom or dad coming down here and bailing them out. I have no problem with that."
Helder told the Quorum Court last year that he thinks the county should expand the jail by about 600 beds. The justices of the peace asked the county to study other options before asking voters to approve a $38 million expansion and a sales tax increase to handle the increased operating and maintenance costs of a larger facility.
Helder said he will work with people to explore other ideas and possibilities but that he remains convinced the county will need to expand the jail.
Ann Harbison, justice of the peace for District 14 in southern Washington County, said that while she supports alternatives to incarceration, she doesn't believe those alternatives will solve the crowding problem. Harbison has suggested the county build a smaller jail pod capable of housing 200 misdemeanor offenders as a short-term solution while waiting to see what alternative programs can achieve.
Jon Comstock, a former circuit judge in Benton County, has been among those active in promoting alternatives to incarceration. Comstock said the work of The Bail Project is only one way of reducing the jail population. He said diversion programs, such as drug court and veterans court, should be expanded and streamlined to provide help to more people.
Comstock also said the county should explore "pre-arrest" diversion programs that give law enforcement agencies options other than arrests for people who may have committed certain types of nonviolent crimes. As one example, he pointed to the adoption of "sobering centers" in other jurisdictions to handle public-intoxication offenders.
"Do we really want criminal justice to be the first response for people who maybe have gone a little bit astray?" he asked.
Metro on 09/23/2019