Vote No on Measure 15-190. Public safety is not at risk, and we do not need a
new jail. We need programs that address the underlying reasons people end up in
jail. The Sheriff’s Department wants the taxpayers to fund a new 800-bed jail at a
cost of 166 million dollars and then abandon the existing jail. Not one penny of
this money can be used to take action to help people stay out of jail. The
summary of the measure asserts that a typical homeowner will pay about $169
per year, but it fails to say that this tax will apply to more than just homeowners
and will be passed through in higher costs to run a business and increased rental
rates for housing.

The proponents claim that the jail is needed to prevent overcrowding and forced
release of people in custody; in making this claim they resort to words that evoke
fear that public safety is at risk. The fact of the matter is that violent offenders are
not being released. People being let go are typically in jail for reasons such as
trespassing, disorderly conduct, minor alcohol and drug violations, and failure to
appear in court.

We need real solutions. We should fund public defenders and the courts so that
people can be brought to trial promptly and then allowed to move on with their
lives. We should fund substance abuse and mental health centers to keep people
out of jail in the first place. We should support programs that provide
opportunities to move out of homelessness and poverty. Where there are
concerns about people not appearing in court, save space in the jail by using
electronic monitoring. These solutions help communities prosper by providing a
healthier and more productive citizenship.

Don’t let this fiasco go on any longer. Building a new jail only provides an excuse
for not addressing the problems. Vote no.

Written by Katharine Bronwen for the May 2020 voters pamphlet