Guilford County commissioners Skip Alston and Bruce Davis continue to push their diversion programs to relieve crowding in the county jail.
On Wednesday, Alston pushed for up to $500,000 to fund trhose programs, in the process “exchanging harsh words” with fellow commissioner Paul Gibson, who serves as co-chairman of the committee studying the issue:
“I don’t want to study and study and waste time,” Alston said during the Greensboro meeting. “This co-chairmanship is about throwing a monkey wrench in the works. We need to get people out of jail as fast as we can.”
Unfortunately for Alston, county public defender Wally Harrleson took Gibson’s side when recommending that more information was needed before funding of any programs could begin. Evidently, they’re skeptical of the numbers Alston presented a couple of weeks ago.
Davis weighed in, saying that programs proposed by two community-based agencies could save the taxpayers $1 million in prisoner upkeep.
Meanwhile, the N&R print edition reported that the sheriff’s office suggested an electronic house-arrest program that for which 40 inmates could be considered.
The question here is whether or not Alston and Davis still believe they can keep the new jail from becoming reality.
