Oh yeah, suddenly, Joe Bruscato, the Winnebago County State’s Attorney and Winnebago County are seeing the light; that it makes more sense to consider sentencing alternatives and defer prosecution of first-time, non-violent offenders than to stuff the Winnebago County jail with them. Well, we guess, it is better for them to come to their senses now rather than later…
Obviously, Joe and the County heads have been meeting and running the numbers (the county financial shortfall, the jail short-staffing and overcrowding, the number of inmates they’ve had trouble moving on to IDOC, and the 500 INS prisoners they hope to bring to the WCJ to raise money). Joe and the heads must have realized they have to move quick to change the jail problem or they will have to give up using the jail tax to fund the various departments and activities it was not originally intended to fund.
So, in short order, the Rockford Register-Star prints some articles in the past couple of weeks about how the County is helping inmates find work, then how the jail is adding more beds to double-up jail space, and now this:
Winnebago County state’s attorney looks into offering jail alternative
Well, Joe, we better get that program on the road, because it will take time to work out all the kinks and actually save us some money.
RichardWanke.Com 