Smart justice is wise

Kudos for your advocacy of smart justice policies as the most sensible reaction to our county’s fiscal predicament. We in the Smart Justice/No New Jail Coalition further assert that smart justice has always been the most sensible and effective means of administering criminal justice irrespective of fiscal considerations.

Keeping nonviolent offenders out of jail and in constructive custody such as electronic home monitoring (ankle bracelets), for example, not only costs a fraction of jail custody ($8 versus $129 per day), it also permits productive employment as well as family cohesion. Even on an ankle bracelet, a father at home is better than an absent one in jail.

We further urge the county commissioners to fully fund the missing drug and alcohol treatment and prevention services vital to keeping addicts from offending to support their habits in the first place. This ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure.

Finally, dozens of studies have shown smart justice to be the safest way to protect our communities. Old-fashioned retribution and punishment is not only more costly, it is much less effective in safeguarding our communities.

Michael Poulin

Spokane