By Jeremiah Stettler
The Salt Lake Tribune
SALT LAKE CITY — With no room at the inn, Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder plans to ask the County Council for more beds.
The sheriff announced Tuesday that he will petition the county for more jail space, hoping to avert the overcrowding problems that forced his office to release 13 inmates in less than a week.
Winder isn’t looking for new space, but rather for permission to use the 128 beds not in use now at the Salt Lake County jail.
County officials have barred the sheriff from using the bunks, hoping to encourage alternatives to incarceration — such as ankle monitors or day-reporting centers — by limiting the jail population. But the jail still has more demand than space.
That means the jail, for the first time, had to shove the 13 inmates out the door this month - excusing the rest of their sentences - for overcrowding reasons only, Winder said.
Their offenses included drug possession, driving on a suspended license or without insurance, retail theft and assault.
The County Council took no immediate action Tuesday. Councilman Mark Crockett even called the population pinch a possible “success,” saying it could spark some dialogue among officials about how to best handle the jail population in the future.
“This has never been about money,” he said. “We will spend whatever we need to spend to provide the community safety we need. This is about creating the conversation to provide the best possible range of programs.”
But the sheriff says it’s time for less talk and more action. He told the council matter-of-factly that the jail needs direction.
“We have reached a point,” he said, “where philosophy is colliding with judges’ decisions.”
The sheriff said he will return to the council in mid-July to request the reopening of two 64-bed units at the metro jail.
Crockett said he doesn’t mind spending the money if the beds are absolutely necessary. But the councilman said he will remain stingy on space until prosecutors, judges, municipal leaders and other stakeholders convene a summit to talk about jail’s long-term sustainability.
“We will still try to keep a little pressure on the system,” he said, “to make sure we have this conversation.”
Copyright 2007 The Salt Lake Tribune