Dave RiewestahlQuestion: Is the jail population controllable?
Updated: Jul 14, 2022
One of the issues currently facing our community is the growing jail population. The current jail facility has three operating housing pods, which house the majority of the secure jail population. There is a 4th pod that is built, but unfinished and therefore not usable space. Part of the discussion within the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Office and in the community is whether finishing the 4th pod would accommodate a rising jail population.
Short Answer: Not by the Sheriff alone AND not with the current community resources that are in place.
- It takes the entire criminal justice system AND the community to "control" it.
↑ There are many factors that could INCREASE the jail population. For example:
New laws being passed that add or modify the definition of a crime
Fluctuations in an arresting officer's (city or county) arrest decision
Mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes
Changes to cash bond requirements for new crimes
↓ There are also many factors that could REDUCE the jail population. For example:
Changes in the number and/or types of acts that are considered criminal
Fluctuations in an arresting officer's (city or county) arrest decision
Not sentencing people to jail for minor crimes
Discontinuing putting people on probation who have shown to be unsuccessful with past periods of probation
Access to community and transitional resources and programming (i.e. financial management, treatment for addiction or mental health concerns, job skill training, etc.)
The majority of these factors are not able to be altered by the Sheriff, but are dependent on sentencing in the court system, probation holds/violations, and crimes being committed/arrests being made. Likewise, once people are sentenced, the Sheriff has no control over how long they are in the facility, even if the facility is full. Modifications to these types of factors will require diligent work and communication with our local court systems and local and state leaders.
In the shorter term:
- The number one thing that we can do: is actually attack (it's an "aggressive" word...I know, but accurately describes what we need to do) the reasons WHY people commit crimes AND help them overcome these reasons.
- People with criminal histories face huge barriers to employment, housing, health care, and education. Additionally, consider the exponential challenges of living with mental health and addiction issues.
The Tough Conversation: What does the future hold?
In late 2021 all EC County Department Heads were asked to review the ARPA funds program to see if/how the money could be utilized in their respective departments. I found three areas where I believed ARPA funds could be utilized:
Booking area remodel - this would add 14 beds to the existing 22 bed, allowing more space for quarantining people before entering general population.
Finish the 4th Pod - This would add about 100 beds with the goal of integrating community resources in a transitional type housing block for those expressing active interest in making changes. There has been further guidance and refinements as to these funds' utilization and this request might not be an authorized ARPA expense.
Premium Pay for essential workers - a onetime $5K bonus for all Sheriff's Office employees in recognition for their perseverance, flexibility and selflessness through the recent 2 COVID years.
To remodel the booking area or build out the 4th pod solely for more beds is not ideal. I do not support the idea of simply adding more space for the sole purpose of incarcerating more people. This type of thought process does not solve a jail population problem, does not address the root problem, does not serve a community, and would require infinite jail expansion. My goal is NOT to house as many people as possible.
“Am I excited to say that we need to build the fourth pod? No, I’m not, ... we as a community haven’t figured out how to change our jail population trajectory, this is the lens that I have to look through.” - Dave Riewestahl, Leader Telegram Article
The Sheriff does, however, need to find a way to provide safe and secure housing for those who enter the jail until some of the factors influencing population noted above can be modified.
The responsibility of the Sheriff is to plan for and provide information and available trends to the County Administrator and County Board for decision making purposes. The consistent increase in jail population has been steady for many, many years. Aside from a global pandemic there has been no significant/long term decrease in the jail population.
Based on my experience as a Correctional Officer, Patrol Deputy and Jail Administrator, I can identify that some people are repeatedly incarcerated. This raises the question of "why?" and points to some opportunity for Evidence Based Programming in the jail or Evidence Based Programming that is transitional that the person could get outside the jail.
In that regard, the completion of the 4th pod may need to be considered as an interim solution. As noted above, ideally it would integrate community resources like social workers, case managers, potential employers, mental health professionals, mentors/peer support, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs and the many community supports that people are utilizing when they are in the community to meet their basic needs of food, water and shelter.
MY GOAL: to create a more successful and sustainable release plan, thereby decreasing the jail population in the long run.
This is a "no win" situation if we [the community] choose only one side. I do not believe we can solely provide "treatment as our way out" OR "arrest our way out" as our response to controlling the jail population. There is a middle area where both have roles to play in improving our community.
I, along with others, have started looking into other county facilities in the state/nation to see what they have already implemented in regard to helping solve these issues so that we may reduce repeated incarceration. These types of programs would certainly require significant development and collaboration with many departments and resources already established in the community. These are worth the time and energy that they would take. The conversation could certainly start with me, but it can't end with me. One person, one Sheriff, cannot make this decision unilaterally and expect good outcomes, which is why I know I can't give a vague or "politically safe" answer here. There are too many angles to view this from and too many good ideas out there. That's why I need you to keep joining me at the table. It's not always going to be easy, but the conversation is worth it.