Document text
77 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 19, 2004 County will reopen Talent jail The added space will increase the maximum inmate population by 96 to 326 countywide By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune More inmates will be locked up this spring when the county reopens a decommissioned jail near Talent. The county likely will spend $600,000 in the jail’s first fiscal year of operation, which ends June 30, said Administrator Sue Slack. The county’s budget earmarks $2.6 million for the jail’s annual operating costs. Expenses likely will increase after the first few years and will be subject to scrutiny by future budget committees, Slack said. County commissioners have approved re-opening the Talent jail in spring 2005, which allows the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department time to recruit, hire and train new deputies. A victim of state budget cutbacks, the 85-bed facility closed in June last year. Criminal justice officials say they have keenly felt the loss of the Talent jail, which formerly housed about a third of the county’s total inmate population. "There will be some teeth and integrity back in the system," said Abe Huntley, deputy director of Jackson County Community Justice. "It’ll be fantastic to have that back open." Advertisement The main jail added 40 beds a year ago, but inmates are released daily before court appearances or serving out their sentences because their just isn’t enough room. More serious offenders also have been pushed into the county’s work centers, which are not secured. The chronic lack of jail space may explain a recent increase in repeat offenders, officials say. During the first six months of this year, 68 percent of inmates had been to Jackson County’s jail more than once compared to 59 percent over the same period in 2003. The incentive to stay out of jail disintegrates when habitual offenders know they won’t spend much time there before being released, officials say. The Talent jail will add 11 beds for a total of 96, increasing the maximum inmate population to 326 countywide. Every week the main jail is forced to release dozens of inmates early to avoid overcrowding. Last week, jail records show 118 were released early. The additional space in Talent is expected to help alleviate that problem. Beds in Talent are arranged in a dormitory setting rather than in individual cells like those in Medford’s main jail, said sheriff’s Lt. Dan Penland. Classrooms in the Talent jail will house a variety of treatment programs, a key component to keeping offenders from returning as inmates, officials say. "It’s more than just opening the jail if we can ensure there are quality programs, quality treatment," Huntley said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities