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Can "czar" help Harris jail overcrowding?

In the wake of a harsh findings letter from the US Justice Department that could presage federal litigation, Harris County has created a jail "czar" position which will be held by former District Judge Caprice Cosper. But whatever she's able to accomplish won't stop the Harris Jail population from expanding in the near term, as evidenced by the county seeking more contract beds in Jefferson County (Beaumont).From my perspective, the two biggest drivers at the Harris County Jail of both overcrowding and cost are excessive pretrial detention and the evolution of the jail into the county's main mental health treatment facility, both of which will require more than "coordination" by a "czar" to fix.That said, the solutions, at least, are fairly clear: 1) Convincing judges to expand the use of personal bonds instead of requiring bail for low-level offenses, and 2) expanding outpatient mental health services, housing and specialized community supervision through the probation department (including making sure they take their meds) for mentally ill offenders, particularly those who are frequently in and out of the jail on low-level offenses...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on July 25, 2009 (boomark / email).