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Eckhardt: 'Jailing 1 in every 83 of our neighbors is a failure of our community'

Drug and alcohol offenders and the mentally ill dominate the Travis County Jail population, according to an essay by Travis County Commissioner Sara Eckhardt titled "Criminal Justice and the Least Among Us" in her quarterly newsletter to constituents (pdf). The commissioner provides a snapshot demonstrating how the Travis jail is being used mostly to combat social problems like addiction and mental illness. She writes: Let?s take a closer look at who is in the Travis County jail, why, and at what cost.36.5% are in jail for violent offenses (including misdemeanor assault) 27.2% are in jail for drug offenses 19.9% are in jail for alcohol related offenses (DWI, public intoxication) 15-20% have a mental health diagnosis45.4% report not having completed the 12th grade6...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on July 24, 2008 (boomark / email).