Here is one idea that the City of Eureka could implement, maybe partner with the County, to reduce jail overcrowding and improve how Eureka looks.
Most violations of Eureka Municipal Codes that are charged in court end up being dismissed as part of a plea or the person serves jail time. Usually, they end up racking up a record and nothing changes because the cycle remains broken.
Why not have a City of Eureka SWAP program? Let them sweep, weed, clean the streets instead of jail time. They can serve with Eureka Rescue Mission, Teen Challenge or one of Betty Chinn's programs if they wish or another City approved program.
The money used to have EPD respond to these calls, book them in jail, attorney and court staff expenses could be better used. Why doesn't probation use some of their funds to hire someone to supervise such efforts?
If they are successful in the City SWAP program, hire them and pay them. A private business could pay someone referred by SWAP to sweep outside their office or property once a week so they can learn skills and responsibility as well as slowly reintegrate into society. Reward successful applicants by putting them into a fast track for housing and services; if that is what they need.
For what many landlords and businesses pay for a meal in one evening, you could mentor a human being and change their life.
Retribution to the person harmed, not slavery for the prison system, would be the way to go.
ReplyDeleteA person makes a choice between SWAP or Jail and or Fines. Retribution to the People for and infraction or misdemeanor can hardly be considered slavery for the prison system.
ReplyDeleteChoice is paramount. Choice to SWAP is pristine.
DeleteForcing SWAP is slavery.
Your bills rise when companies and corporations save fortunes by hiring prisoners to do the work at a partial of the wages.
Forcing is when taxpayers pay repeatedly for your legal fees, drug rehab, and other programs and you make no effort to change yourself. Those costs add up and sympathy lessens when you see the same local people act one way in court to get released or get services then the very next day scream and yell at their public defender and threaten law abiding citizens. The choice is to pay society back and change your life in the right direction or rot in jail. Your comment above shows the narrow world view you have thinking corporations are the sole problem. You seem to have no problem with liberal and Democrat policies that have failed to address poverty and homelessness in states controlled by Democrats. California, Illinois, the list is obvious. Exploitation is not a partisan issue but there is only one party that profits and needs votes by setting up people to fail and has done more to divide people by identity politics than corporations. There are many corporations that implemented changes to benefit women, the LGBT community and they employ people regardless of petty small town thinking. I don't know if you have lived or travelled anywhere outside Humboldt or California but there is perspective and a bigger picture based on facts compared to the drivel fed by the progressive media and leaders based on facts.
DeleteIn an ideal world where quota's for profit don't matter, you'd have a case in point.
DeleteSwap is an excellent program. Its kind of a win win. Things get done and offenders get real life experience working. Lives can be changed and swap is one of the best opportunities.
ReplyDelete