The following is the presentation given at the Garland County Tea Party sponsored Crime Town Hall meeting held at the Gospel Light School Auditorium on Sept 23rd 2010. The presentation was given by Glenn Gallas.

Creating a safer Hot Springs will be the key to our cities continued success and the foundation on which we can build a more prosperous future. The first step in the process is to acknowledge there is a problem. We do have a crime problem in Hot Springs it can no longer be ignored and we must recognize the many challenges our entire law enforcement and justice system faces. The following are a few facts about crime in Hot Springs.

Hot Springs has some of the highest rates in violent and property crime per capita than any where else in Arkansas and the United States according to FBI statistics. The National Median for violent crime is 4.7 and the State of Arkansas is 5.4 but Hot Springs is an incredible 12.48. The chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Hot Springs is 1 in 81. The Property Crime National Median is 34.3 and the State of Arkansas is 42.8 but in Hot Springs it is an incredible 139.84 that is 4X the national average. The chances of being a victim of property crime in Hot Springs are 1 in 7.

These statistics are no longer a secret as almost any home search or moving website carries these statistics for those who are researching places to live and businesses in search of a home. Unless we join together to use every resource available to reverse these dangerous statistics our town and local economy will suffer.

According to the Garland County Sheriff and our local Justice system 80% of those filling our county jail cells are there for drug and alcohol related offences. Approximately 40% of those incarcerated are there for parole violations and committing technical violations of parole conditions. According to the Department of Justice 60% of the jail population suffers from a mental health disorder. Add to these violent criminals who are dangerous to society and it is no surprise that we have a jail overcrowding problem. We must have a new jail but a jail alone doesn’t fix our enormous crime problem. If the only solution we provide is to build bigger and bigger jails we will never solve this complicated problem. The jail can only be a piece of a large comprehensive plan to return our city back to the safest place to live.

The jail is not an isolated entity but rather an integral component of a system that encompasses law enforcement, prosecution, the courts and other agencies. So the solution is a criminal justice system issue. So let’s look at each piece of the justice system. First the jail; there is no question we must have a jail that is the right size and is properly designed to handle the number and diversity of the jail population. Our jail must be a place where criminals can serve out their sentences completely to be the deterrent to future criminal activity.

The judicial system in Garland County is superior and already has been utilizing alternative sentencing and forms of incarceration. The challenge to this system is the availability of jail space and alternative incarceration programs. Our judicial system must have the tools it needs to exercise judicial prudence and make wise decisions in sentencing. So truly the answer has to be more than the jail. For if we are to have a jail that can hold those awaiting trial and have room for those who are convicted and a menace to society we must have alternative sentencing options and alternative incarceration options available.

Alternatives to Incarceration Programs (ATI’s) are a part of a mix of options that can reduce crime, reduce jail populations, help individuals, and assist communities. Instead of sentencing someone to jail, ATI’s allow the judge to sentence someone to a program where they can receive treatment, education, employment training in the community all while remaining under strict supervision. If people do not succeed at these programs then the judge has the option of sentencing them into the jail. Studies by the nations leading criminal researchers have shown that ATI’s reduce jail time, reduce costs and treat people in the community without compromising public safety.

ATI’s Cut Crime; a recent analysis by the New York Criminal Justice Agency found that felony ATI participants were significantly less likely to be re-arrested than similar people sent to and discharged from the city jail. The growth of New York’s ATI’s has occurred as jail populations have fallen, and as the city has experienced a drop in crime.

ATI’s Cut Costs; According to the City of New York’s Department of Corrections the average annual cost per jail inmate is $62,595. ATI’s can cost as little as $1,400 to as much as $13,000 per person served. By keeping program participants active in their communities, families and the local economy, ATI’s save far more than the cost of incarceration. ATI’s can save money in foster care, shelter and welfare and child support costs when the program participant remains engaged in the community. The Vera Institute of Justice reports illegal drug use declined from 80% to 42% by participating in ATI programs that combine parole, probation and family members.

ATI’s provide job training, education, drug treatment counseling and mental health counseling. No matter what kind of treatment they received a majority of the ATI participants said those services were helpful. ATI’s meet the needs of the whole family by providing increased access to support systems, helping coordinated existing support systems, and helping family recognize their own strengths and utilize existing resources. By keeping people out of jail, ATI’s avoid the disruption that incarceration causes families and communities. ATI’s allow people to remain a part of the workforce, to be parents, and to play an active role in their communities.

So if we are to solve this complicated problem we must take its resolution seriously. First we must begin the process of collecting relevant data within our own jail. We must begin looking at who is be incarcerated, how long, how many times and what caused this incarceration. This data will help us find what types of programs are needed and where extra effort must be placed. This type of data needs to be collated by a Criminal Justice Analyst. A Community Criminal Justice Board should be created to help identify, utilize and look for opportunities to support effective programs within the community.

The principles in the entire Criminal Justice system need to create ways to network and cooperate on a regular basis. If each component would look to find ways to improve the system on purpose and with purpose the end result would ultimately be a safer and more prosperous City and County. If you always do what you’ve always did, you will always get what you’ve always got! Let’s look for the solutions and make them happen and together we all win.

This presentation is archived here.