Pubdate: Sat, 18 Feb 2006
Source: Iowa City Press-Citizen (IA)
http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060218/OPINION02/602180302&SearchID=73237830008530
Copyright: 2006 Iowa City Press-Citizen
Contact:  http://www.press-citizen.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1330
Author: Todd Versteegh, chair of the Johnson County Republican Party
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

SHERIFF SHOULD BEGIN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT JAIL

The Press-Citizen recently editorialized that Sheriff Lonny 
Pulkrabek's recent proposal to state legislators "probably" did not 
further the case for the construction of a new jail facility in 
Johnson County ("Focus on pot takes focus off jail solutions," Feb. 
15). We feel that the facts need to be stated here. Sheriff Pulkrabek 
is making these proposals to placate the political base in Johnson 
County that helped get him elected to office in the first place.

What you're not hearing from the sheriff (or the media for that 
matter) is the following:

Detox center was tried before: Sheriff Pulkrabek failed to mention 
that Johnson County did have a detoxification center in the early 
1980s when it was allowed under state law to take those cited for 
public intoxication to such a center. More problems than solutions 
were created by this center, however, when offenders taken there 
caused fights and other disturbances that required law enforcement to 
respond to additional problems.

State law was eventually changed to require that anyone cited for 
public intox was to be detained for the protection of the offender 
and of the public. The risks and liability to law enforcement and to 
communities are too great to allow anything but detention of those 
cited for public intoxication.

Lesser penalties send wrong message: We agree with Johnson County 
Attorney J. Patrick White that Pulkrabek's proposal on reducing 
penalties for marijuana possession sends the wrong message to the community.

It flies in the face of common sense to advocate a catch and release 
attitude towards this type of illegal behavior when there are so many 
organizations in Johnson County doing wonderful work to educate the 
public on the harmful effects of drug use.

For a law enforcement official to advocate the position that 
possessing a small amount of marijuana should be enforced differently 
than possessing a large amount is irresponsible at best. Sheriff 
Pulkrabek's job is to enforce the laws of Iowa as written. If Sheriff 
Pulkrabek does not agree with the laws, he should run for a seat in 
the Iowa Legislature and attempt to change the laws.

Suggestions will not alleviate overcrowding: Reducing penalties for 
these types of offenses would do little to reduce overcrowding at the 
Johnson County Jail. Those cited for these offenses are often 
released within 24 hours or less and make up a small percentage of 
those housed at the jail.

Johnson County did not spend 1.8 million dollars to house public 
intox and marijuana offenders in other counties' jails. The offenders 
being housed in other jails are those awaiting trial, repeat 
offenders, and those serving sentences for more serious offenses.

Sheriff Pulkrabek promised during his campaign that if elected, he 
would conduct a public education campaign about the need for a new 
jail facility. To date, there has been no such campaign and little 
done in the way of reducing current overcrowding at the jail. All one 
has to do is to look at the housing statistics at the jail on the 
sheriff's own Web site. The jail population has consistently been at 
or near 100 prisoners a day housed in the jail. In a facility that 
was built with a capacity of half that total. The state jail 
inspector has consistently criticized Johnson County for not 
providing adequate resources in the jail due to the lack of space.

We urge Sheriff Pulkrabek to finally begin to take real steps toward 
educating the public about the need for a new jail facility instead 
of advocating irresponsible policies towardsthe serious issues of 
drug and alcohol abuse in this county. It's time for the sheriff to 
face reality and reject the pipe dream policies of those who 
irresponsibly oppose the building of a new jail. The public deserves 
better from the leadership of our county law enforcement.