Montgomery County jails have seen a drop-off in inmate population after its peak 18 months ago. Officials credit a change in mind-set that puts more low-risk defendants and offenders on bail or home confinement.
When Montgomery’s jail population hit its high-water mark of about 1,100 daily inmates in summer 2006, there was no corresponding jumps in arrests or significant increases in the crime rate.
Instead, officials attribute the 2006 spike to new judges, new police officers and others in the county’s judicial system who were more hesitant to allow low-risk, nonviolent offenders to avoid incarceration.
“We’re not letting people out who aren’t supposed to be out; the law allows people out on bail,” Department of Corrections Director Art Wallenstein said, adding that the changes reflect a “serious trust” from the justice system that individuals in pretrial release programs are not jeopardizing public safety.
In 2003, only 11 percent of offenders could avoid jail before trial. In 2007, judges put 33 percent of defendants out on bail.
Wallenstein said there’s been no change in the percentage of offenders who don’t show up for trial — that number is, and always has been, about 3 percent.
The county Corrections Department has also seen a hefty increase in the number of offenders referred to a community service program that allows some low-level, nonviolent offenders in trouble for crimes like underage drinking to avoid trial.
Between 2006 and 2007, referrals to the Alternative Community Services program jumped 23 percent, from 2,616 to 3,218 cases.
“We’re very, very proud of our program here,” Pre-Trial Services Chief Sharon Trexler, said. “”These are situations where you have first-time offenders, doing very minor offenses they’d never be locked up for but they’d face fines and have a conviction on their record unless they choose to do community service.”
The county earned $356,000 from the program during 2007 and saved the costs associated with taking cases to trial.
