(c) by Mark Dempsey (2/24/25)
Hello friends and neighbors,
I've read it's more likely you'll be in a fatal car accident on the way to the polls than that your vote would make a critical difference in a national election. Local politics is different, though. Here's an issue where your input could make a difference:
On February 26th, Sacramento County Supervisors will consider enlarging the County jail. The 2020 estimate for enlarging the jail was $89 million. The estimate is nearly two billion dollars...!
Although Hollywood may tell you cops, courts, and cages nab 90% of the bad guys, in 2022 the police solved only 13.2% of crimes in California. Police are well-funded, too. When US population increased 42% (1982 - 2017) spending on policing increased by 187%. But cops remain a second-rate solution for crime.
In fairness, the jail is full now, but 60% - 80% of the inmates are convicted of nothing more than being too poor to afford bail. There's no discussion of no-cash bail (as in Illinois and Washington D.C.) or supervised release, both of which would be cheaper.
The County currently treats homelessness as a crime, and while Supervisors may believe a bigger jail will address "substance abuse and mental health issues" recent surveys of homelessness disclose that those the aren't primary causes of that condition.
Homelessness and its desperation exist primarily because rents have been rising faster than incomes. Forty percent of homeless people are employed, they just can't afford rent. And spending so much on a jail will financially disable the County when it needs money for infrastructure or rent subsidies.
Meanwhile, the US incarcerates at five times the world's per-capita average, seven times more than Canada and France--and those countries have lower crime rates, but far better social safety nets. Safety nets are both cheaper and more effective (see here), but multi-billion-dollar jails are what's being considered now.
I'd urge everyone to write the Supervisors to urge them to reject this colossal waste of money and manpower.
Here's how you can reach them (and please write 'em all!):
Phil Serna <SupervisorSerna@saccounty.net>,
Patrick Kennedy <SupervisorKennedy@saccounty.net>,
Rosario Rodriguez <supervisorrodriguez@saccounty.gov>,
Pat Hume <PatHume@saccounty.gov>,
Rich Desmond <richdesmond@saccounty.net>
Also, include the board clerk (BoardClerk@saccounty.net) so your correspondence gets into the hearing minutes.
For more information visit Decarcerate Sacramento. Their advocacy toolkit is here.
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