tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post3208494176273816538..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Public Participation Required for Vigorous Jail Debates: Before blogs, "citizen journalism" meant Letters to the EditorGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-32742416290381880272007-11-09T14:52:00.000-06:002007-11-09T14:52:00.000-06:00The feeling among a lot of residents, is that if t...The feeling among a lot of residents, is that if the new jail was created, it would produce new rounds of arrests just to fill it up! It is not so much the jail in Smith county that needs revamping, it is the justice system itself that needs change. The incarceration rate is 50% higher than the state average already, and that in a state with a 44% higher rate than the nation. Figure probation into the equation, minus the doubling, and you get the idea that if you haven't been arrested yet, they just haven't gotten around to it. I suspect that there will soon be some contrived jail related disaster to show us how wrong we are.<BR/><BR/>There is one local blog from Smith County http://tax.dotrevolt.info/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com