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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

Jail drawback list grows

An FBI report issued May 23 states, “crime levels fell across the board last year, extending a multi-year downward trend with a 5.5 percent drop in the number of violent crimes in 2010 and 2.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes.”

This is just one reason the No New Jail Coalition opposes the building of a new jail. There are many others that space will not accommodate in this letter. As I write this letter there are approximately 776 inmates between the jail and Geiger. The jail alone holds 675 of these with the remaining 101 inmates confined to Geiger. Do you really want to spend $200 million plus interest to accommodate 101 individuals before smart justice policies and procedures are tried?

And what about the 70 to 80 jail beds the county is renting to the state Department of Corrections and feds? Should Spokane County taxpayers build a new jail for them?

Lucy Lennox

Spokane

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