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Improving justice Jackson County officials make blueprint for future By Dani Dodge Too few deputies, too few jail beds and too many court cases are threats to justice in Jackson County. The District Attorney�s office is swamped, handling more cases per prosecutor than any other county of its size. An understaffed sheriff�s department is clearing fewer than 20 percent of its cases. And more than 3,800 inmates were released early last year from an overcrowded jail. "All of us, including me, we�ve been out pounding the pavement and encouraging people to move here telling people how great it is � but we�ve failed to fund the infrastructure we need to keep it great," said Sheriff Bob Kennedy. "We haven�t added sheriff�s patrols since the early �80s. We are one of the lowest in the state for officers per thousand (residents) and the DA�s office has the highest case load in Oregon." Over the past three months, though, the county�s justice-related departments � the sheriff�s department, the District Attorney�s office, and Community Justice � have developed a plan to improve the situation. The plan calls for exploring a number of ideas, from reviewing the county�s hiring policies to establishing a women-only corrections center to asking the voters for more money. The 33-page "Criminal Justice Services Strategic Plan" is a blueprint for what justice officials want to see in Jackson County�s future. It�s a road map to ensure that justice underfunded is not justice denied. "Basically what the county�s criminal justice folks are doing is trying to make our services work together and be on the same page so we support one another," said Bob Grindstaff, the head of Community Justice. "I think (in the report) we got away from generalities and looked at what we wanted and needed to do � and we didn�t go first to throwing money at a problem." For example, a federal court order prevents the jail from housing more than 190 inmates at a time. But county officials want to convince the courts to allow them to build double bunks to accommodate more inmates. That way, there�s not as much need for a costly new jail. The county also will consider establishing a separate women�s correctional facility, to meet the specialized needs of women criminals and relieve overcrowding in the main jail, Grindstaff said. And District Attorney Mark Huddleston is exploring a plan to give written plea bargains to misdemeanor offenders at arraignment so they can plead guilty right away if they choose. That would avoid all the time prosecutors use preparing for trial. "We were looking at what can we do to reduce the number of cases in the system that hang around for months then settle at the last minute, " said Huddleston. "This way, folks might be more inclined to offer a plea up front." Still, the report also starkly outlines the need for more funds and staff. Huddleston�s biggest need is for another deputy district attorney and a new legal aide, who could schedule for a third grand jury. Currently, it can take months for some cases to go before the grand jury because the two current juries are busy expediting cases of people behind bars. "The longer it takes us to (get a case to grand jury), the worse-off everyone is," Huddleston said. "People forget things and people move out of the area and it comes down to the simple fact of holding people accountable. The longer it takes for the grand jury, the longer it takes for the defendant to realize he did something wrong." The report also outlines a desperate staffing shortage in the sheriff�s department. The county had to pay an estimated $1 million in overtime last year to cover shifts. Currently, there�s only two or three deputies on patrol at a time in the county. If two major incidents occur simultaneously, deputies would be unable to adequately deal with them. Kennedy said the county really needs to double the number of deputies from 20 to 40, although he said any increase would help. Kennedy said the county has three options: Use some of the money set aside for emergencies, ask the voters in the unincorporated areas to fund it, or ask voters for a higher tax rate to help fund the needs of criminal justice. "Or we could do nothing," he said. "But I don�t see that as an option." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.