Jail news roundup

Madison newspapers have been covering jail stories like gangbusters...

The story Criminal justice report points to jail overcrowding covers a report from the Institute for Law and Policy Planning that seems to include some useful suggestions for lowering the number of inmates and the length of the average stay. Notable quote:

"Get 'em in, get 'em booked, and if it's a misdemeanor, get 'em the hell out of the jail," [County Board Supervisor Dennis] O'Loughlin said.

The same beat was later covered in the State Journal in County officials seek jail efficiency, which also pointed out that:

About one-quarter of the men and women housed there have been convicted of crimes and sentenced to jail. The rest are "holds" -- probation and parole violators, pre-trial detainees or federal inmates.

Finally, a very good resolution to an old story (unless there's some twist I didn't catch): Jail phone profit stream dries up in 2009 reports that the ordinance to require Dane County to "enter contracts that provide the lowest possible costs to inmates." Hear hear!