Beggs supports reform

Seventy-four percent of the Spokane County budget is spent on the criminal justice system. That is crazy. At $130 per day per offender, our jail serves as hardly more than a mental health ward while dangerous criminals go uncharged and end up free to kill at the bus plaza. If we don’t change direction soon, our future looks dim and even more expensive.

We have an opportunity to break the status quo in November. Breean Beggs’ pursuit of justice for Otto Zehm’s family was a controversial decision, but his dogged pursuit of the truth won out. Not afraid to go after the powers that be, he found justice for Otto’s family as he has for many others abused by an imperfect system.

As county prosecutor, Breean will implement Smart Justice reforms, using proven techniques to close the revolving door of crime. We can treat people for mental health and drug-related issues rather than warehousing them in our jail and hospitals, making our community safer and saving taxpayer dollars.

This is not a partisan, but a common-sense issue. Breean is the only one who can and will pull this off. We can do better with him as prosecutor.

Jim Allers

Spokane