Judges urge jail alternatives

Findlay Municipal Court judges on Thursday urged the Hancock County Board of Commissioners to build an alternative to a jail — dormitory-style, less restrictive housing — for misdemeanor and low-level felony offenders. The alternative sentencing center could be built for a fraction of the cost of a jail and could help prevent overcrowding at the Hancock County jail, Municipal Court Judge Alan Hackenberg said. Hackenberg also said Hancock County might be able to share some of the expense with Findlay, and might be able to obtain state assistance in funding construction. The center would allow lower-level offenders to complete sentences in dormitory-style housing while still going to jobs, treatment, community service, or to meet other court-approved obligations. "We advocate for this. We believe in this," Hackenberg told the commissioners. He was accompanied in the presentation by fellow Municipal Court Judge Stephanie Bishop and Candace Griffith, assistant chief probation officer for municipal court. Findlay Municipal Court has jurisdiction for Findlay and all townships except Washington Township. County officials last August announced the existing jail needs to be expanded or a bigger one needs to be built on County Road 140. So, a County Road 140 site could host both a new jail and an alternative sentencing center. "We think a (alternative sentencing center) is very important to any discussions you may be having in regards to what a new jail may look like and certainly the design," Hackenberg said. "A lot of the individuals could be held and reside in (an alternative center) versus the jail, which could certainly alter how that jail may be built and certainly the number of beds and the type of beds in that facility." The commissioners listened and asked questions during the nearly hour-long presentation. Commissioner Michael Pepple told the judges the commissioners will respond to the presentation in a couple of weeks. Commissioner William Bateson asked how a new alternative sentencing center would work, since past work release programs have fizzled out. County and city programs in recent years suffered from a shortage of participants. The erstwhile programs required participants to pay to stay, and most people could not afford the fee, Griffith said. "That was a big barrier," she said. A new program would not require fees of participants or require them to have a job, though officials would like the program to help them find jobs. Participants in past programs also could not test positive for marijuana use upon admittance. Traces of the drug remain in one's system for 30 days. It would be unrealistic to expect people going into the program today to test negative, given the drug's popularity and that many people have prescriptions, Griffith said. "As long as we don't think there's use going on while they're at the facility, we don't view that as a problem," Griffith said. Ideally, the Hancock County sheriff would run the operations of the center, Hackenberg said. In that scenario, the center should be located near the sheriff's operations, he said. "I don't think the sheriff would be probably overly interested in running a facility that is nowhere near where the jail is or where he already has got people," Hackenberg said. "I know he already struggles with court security plus a jail." Finding a location for an alternative center and a jail would be a big decision. "This is always going to be in conjunction with a jail, this facility. It cannot exist without a jail. This is not a replacement, it's not a substitution. It's always in conjunction with a jail. The county, the sheriff, the sheriff's office and the jail," Hackenberg said. "You guys have a stake in this no matter what we do." Wilin: 419-427-8413