Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Incarceration Alternatives
A combination of factors has prompted the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to consider new alternatives to incarceration — including ankle monitors — as the number of inmates housed at the jail nears capacity. Full story on The Telegraph.
Higher bail bond amounts, an influx of people arrested in a recent federal sweep and a growing number of inmates sentenced to state prison and waiting to be transferred all have contributed to the problem, Sheriff Jerry Modena said.
“All this hit at the same time,” said Chief Deputy Russell Nelson.
In recent weeks, 953 people were housed at the jail, 13 less than the jail’s capacity of 966.
If it hadn’t been for the transfer of 104 inmates to state prison in June, the jail would have been housing more than 1,000 inmates, Nelson said.
But Modena said he doesn’t expect to need to build more jail space anytime soon. The jail opened a new wing, raising the jail’s capacity from 697 beds to 966 beds, in 2007.
“We’re nowhere near having to talk about having additional space,” he said.
Still, to ensure that the jail doesn’t become overcrowded, Modena said he’s exploring a range of alternatives to incarceration, including ankle monitors and a domestic violence pretrial diversion program.
The ankle monitors would be a less costly way to manage inmates by allowing them to go home, saving the county as much as $45 a day per prisoner, Modena said.
The domestic violence program would be patterned after the drug court and mental health court programs already running in Bibb County by providing offenders with counseling and clinical services, as opposed to incarceration.
Modena said he’s also researching an automotive education program to help provide job skills for inmates. That could help them find work upon release.
The jail now houses 92 inmates who are waiting to be transferred to state prisons, detention centers and diversion centers when space is available.
Complete story on The Telegraph.
Electronic Monitoring, GA Bibb County, Georgia, Overcrowding
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