Coutinuing our conversation of a few days ago on our county’s criminal catch-and-release program, today’s “Ann Arbor News” reports that Sheriff Dan Minzey continues to refuse to consider alternatives for dealing with jail overcrowding. (Letting criminals go just isn’t working as a long-term strategy.) Here’ a clip:
Washtenaw County Sheriff Dan Minzey appears to be increasingly isolated as he comes under fire from other county officials who are determined to move ahead on a jail expansion plan, with or without his endorsement.
Minzey’s critics say the sheriff, who remains at odds with the county administration over issues ranging from budgeting to policing, is undercutting his own effectiveness by refusing to attend meetings or talk directly with other officials about the jail expansion and other issues. They charge that Minzey is exacerbating the jail overcrowding situation by refusing to use a state law that allows him to cut some jail sentences by nearly one-third.
But Minzey says he is being undermined by a county board that doesn’t allow him meaningful input and which has endorsed a plan that will not solve overcrowding long-term. He says he will not second-guess judges who set sentences for the jail inmates, and his staff found that attending meetings was not an effective way to address the situation…