Sheriff Tom Knight says a new jail will not solve jail overcrowding

[Media]

The Sarasota County Jail has been overcrowded for 10 years. It is a mix of old and new — outdated layouts, chipping paint and rust in the wings built in 1975 and 1987. Maintenance issues, such as excess buildup in aging pipes (no toilets or sinks), can render entire pods useless — sometimes for months — which poses problems every time the inmate population rises.

There have been conversations surrounding the idea of building a new jail to match Sarasota’s exploding population, but Tom Knight said, “As long as I’m sheriff, I’ll never support a [new] hardened jail [to handle inmate overcrowding] because it’s a tool of the past.”

To reduce jail overcrowding, Knight said judges need to set reasonable bonds and resolve cases quickly, which will reduce the inmate population.

Knight said, “Is there an opportunity for the jail population to go over capacity again, and to have over 1,100 inmates? Absolutely.” However, Knight said that if the jail does get overcrowded again, then mattresses can be laid on the floor for inmates to sleep on, which is what he did last year to solve jail overcrowding.

Knight also wants to mitigate jail overcrowding by sending inmates into community based re-entry programs – and not to jail.

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https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/2...-is-not-needed