An Assessment of the Future of the Tompkins County Jail
CGR (Center for Governmental Research) was hired by Tompkins County to conduct an assessment of the County jail; alternative-to-incarceration and other criminal justice programs, policies and practices affecting the jail and its inmate population; trends over time in the numbers and characteristics of that population; and future jail population projections under various scenarios and assumptions. After a lengthy study, CGR produced a report that suggested Tompkins County should not build a new jail or expand the number of beds in its existing jail facility. There is no justification for the County to consider any expansion of its existing jail-cell footprint, unless it simply decides it wishes to build a more modern facility enabling direct supervision and greater flexibility in the provision of correctional services. Tompkins County should begin to implement each of the inmate-reduction strategies outlined below. • Expand substance abuse assessments and expedite access to residential rehab treatment. • Increase the impact of Pre-Trial Release. • Expand the use of Electronic Monitoring. • Expand the use of Misdemeanor Drug Court. • Support creation of non-jail medical detox capacity. Additional recommendations to further reduce the jail population, seek improvements within the jail, seek change in the judicial system, strengthen data systems, establish a criminal justice leadership position, and engage the community were also included in the report.
Report Date: Jul 2017
Author(s): Donald Pryor
, Peter Nabozny
Subject(s): Criminal Justice
, Public Safety
, Strategic Planning
Location: Tompkins, New York