Mitigation, not incarceration

We have just learned that the city of Spokane can no longer afford the county jail beds, and the county can’t afford to keep the Geiger Corrections Facility open. The real news is that Spokane cannot afford to continue to rely on expensive incarceration to prevent criminal behavior, and create a safer community.

The research of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy shows that spending money on treatment, education and employment is cheaper and more effective in preventing crime than incarceration. Taxpayer dollars should be shifted to these programs that work to end the cycle of crime, and also shifted to alternatives to incarceration for low-risk, nonviolent offenders.

Electronic home-monitoring, work release, day reporting and active community supervision can reduce the need for expensive jail beds. Let’s save the costly jail beds for the individuals that present a real risk to the community. We need to work together to create a safer community, where criminal behavior is reduced and taxpayer dollars are spent more wisely.

Mary Lou Johnson

Spokane