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Canyon County officials worry about crime rate

The Associated Press • Published November 08, 2009

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CALDWELL, Idaho – Authorities in Canyon County say voters' rejection last week of a $46 million bond to build a new jail means the crime rate could go up.

"We're letting people out of jail I really wish could be kept in jail," Caldwell Police Chief Chris Allgood told the Idaho Statesman. "And most people with misdemeanors don't even go to jail in the first place, because there's no room."

The prisoner population is capped at 296 following a class-action lawsuit that contended the jail had inhumane conditions when it held as many as twice that number of prisoners.

"I believe the people who regularly commit crimes will realize they won't be going to jail, and the deterrent will go away," Allgood said. "Our crime rate could go back up."

Would-be prisoners are being turned away with judges granting alternative sentences for crimes that, if there were room, would have put perpetrators in jail.

"It's problematic to be able to hold people accountable," said Dan Kessler, 3rd District Trial Court administrator.

He said probation violations is another problem.

"It gets to be especially difficult for judges to handle," Kessler said. "They've already had them in court and sentenced them to probation, but then there are violations, and the issue becomes, how flexible can you be?"

Canyon County Prosecutor John Bujak is also concerned.

"My perception is, everyone is frustrated that Canyon County's brand of justice can't be enforced anymore because the jail can't hold the people," he said. "We're flushing everyone but the worst of the worst out of the jail. We're trying to make room for felonies and any crimes of domestic violence. But what happens when all we have in the jail are felons and we're still going over our number?"

County officials are considering putting the jail back on the ballot, perhaps as early as May.