Oct 29, 2009 10:41 pm US/Central
Sheriff: Use Home Confinement For Petty Crooks
Dart Argues That Electronic Monitoring Can Be A Safe, Cheaper Alternative To Jailing Non-Violent Offenders
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart wants to broaden the use of electronic monitoring for petty criminals, rather than jailing them on bond.
CBS
In tough money times, when budgets are tight, Cook County taxpayers are paying more to jail some non-violent offenders who could be electronically monitored.
Even the sheriff says a more robust "EM" program would save money and allow him to possibly shut down a jail unit. So what gives?
CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports.
Just two years ago, instead of locking them up, Cook County put electronic ankle bracelets on some 1,500 people to keep track of them.
"The cost of actually keeping a guy incarcerated versus out on a monitoring program -- there's a big difference in that money," jail employee Joe Ranzino said.
EM costs about $35 a day. To jail an inmate costs about a $100 a day per non-violent offender. In a year, the county had 1,500 people on EM, saving $35 million. Despite that, the EM ranks have dwindled. This week, the number is at about three hundred.
In the meantime, your tax dollars are paying to house more detainees – some who could be electronically monitored.
"They're in there on a $2,000 bond for prostitution," Sheriff Tom Dart said. "They're in there on a $500 bond for stealing a loaf of bread. That's where it gets to be puzzling."
Or political. Dart says his people used to decide who went on EM, but with limited information, those decisions amounted to guesswork, which wasn't safe for the public. So he put pressure on the courts, saying the judiciary has the legal background to make the call on EM, like it does in most jurisdictions.
That's when electronic monitoring declined in Cook County.
"Yes, It cost a lot of money," Dart said. "I'm not proud of the fact that it did, but certainly from my standpoint there's nothing else I could do."
County Commissioner Tony Peraica said the sheriff shares some of the responsibility in making the call. Peraica will be on hand Friday, when Dart proposes a magistrate be set up to better evaluate possible EM cases.
"Why all the sudden now is (Dart) unveiling this miraculous program that should have been done years ago?" Peraica said.
The chief judge's office did not provide a response when contacted for this story.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
The Tattooed Ladies of Hollywood
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments