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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Pot smoke upsets some, but Ashland, Medford police say they've seen no big increase ... Police: Man shoots self, blames unknown assailants ... Former GP police volunteer pleads guilty to gun thefts ... Pot smoke upsets some, but Ashland, Medford police say they've seen no big increase ... Police: Man shoots self, blames unknown assailants ... Former GP police volunteer pleads guilty to gun thefts ... CRIME Jackson County Jail becomes a revolving door over the weekend Bar sweep nets more than a dozen arrests Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 13, 2015 at 8:46 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 13, 2015 at 8:46 PM » Social News As fast as Medford police arrested suspects over the weekend, they had to turn them loose because of overcrowding at the jail. "It's the revolving door of the criminal justice system," Medford police Sgt. Geoff Kirkpatrick said. Police arrested more than a dozen people during a bar sweep Saturday night, finding suspects with methamphetamine who were also wanted for failing to appear on their court date. "We give them a new court date and hope they will appear again," he said. Police are accompanied by probation officers who recognize many of their clients during the bar sweeps when they hit the Purple Parrots and other local establishments. Many of the suspects are referred to as "frequent flyers" by police. On a slow day, police can arrest about 15 people, but  Saturday and Sunday they snagged more than 30, Kirkpatrick said. "We arrested a lot of folks over the last 24 hours," he said. He said that other than the bar sweep, another 15 were arrested during the day on Sunday and up to 10 overnight in other locations. Police bring the suspects to the jail, where they are processed and then turned loose. According to jail records, 17 suspects were released either on their own recognizance or because the jail was nearing capacity. A majority of the offenses related to possession of methamphetamine, but suspects who had been involved in thefts, harassments, disorderly conduct, forgery, possessing burglary tools and even failing to appear as a registered sex offender were also turned loose. Kirkpatrick said police will continue to make as many arrests as necessary, then bring them into Jackson County Jail, which is under the jurisdiction of the sheriff's department. "We don't have any control over how the sheriff's office releases," he said. Kirkpatrick said the jail tries its best to keep suspects, but because of limited space has to prioritize who stays and who goes. In April 2014, another 62 more inmates could be housed in the jail after it underwent a $2.7 million remodeling project. That brought the total capacity to 292 inmates. In 2013, nearly 5,000 of the 11,482 offenders lodged in the jail were quickly released because of space constraints. After the beds were added, the number of prisoners released to prevent the jail from being overcrowded appeared to put a dent in the "catch and release" problem.   —Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 13, 2015 at 8:46 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501