Police wary of Akron program meant to ease jail overcrowding
An effort to ease jail overcrowding in one northeastern Ohio county is drawing concern from police chiefs, who are wary of not immediately jailing people charged with nonviolent, low-level felonies.
AKRON, Ohio (AP) - An effort to ease jail overcrowding in one northeastern Ohio county is drawing concern from police chiefs, who are wary of not immediately jailing people charged with nonviolent, low-level felonies.
The Akron Beacon Journal (http://bit.ly/2nJRwy8 ) reports that officials in Akron have tried a program in which some of those defendants get a summons to appear in court instead of waiting in jail for an initial appearance. A jail official says the effort noticeably reduced jail bookings.
Backers hope to expand the program in Summit County using a $50,000 MacArthur Foundation grant, but not everyone is on board.
That includes Barberton Chief Vincent Morber, who leads the Summit County Police Chiefs Association. He says low-level felony offenders are often the suspects who most need screening and assessment through the jail.
Information from: Akron Beacon Journal, http://www.ohio.com
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