As of Jan. 25, the inmate population in the Sarasota County Jail was at the lowest level in five years. On that day, 799 people were behind bars, or roughly 10 percent below the facility’s operational capacity.
It’s a trend reflected in other Southwest Florida counties.
Wayne Applebee, Sarasota County’s criminal justice coordinator said one reason is a decline in the overall population. Speaking at the meeting last week of the Criminal Justice Commission, he said that for the first time in decades, the number of people living in Sarasota County has decreased. The official estimate is a 1.5 percent decline.
"Less overall population is one reason," said Applebee of the jail population. "But that 1.5 percent, were they more likely to interact at a higher rate with the criminal justice system?"
In other words, did the criminals leave town?
Other factors are in play as well. Law enforcement agencies have slashed their civilian staffs in reaction to falling budgets, leaving uniformed officers to do more paperwork. "That takes them off the streets, and you have less arrests," said Applebee.
Two new programs – early case resolution and pre-trial services – are keeping people out of jail for minor technical violations of the law. And Applebee noted that Sheriff Tom Knight has worked cooperatively with the federal government to identify illegal aliens and transfer them to federal custody.
However, all is not rosy in the system. The average length of stay in the jail keeps inching up. In 2005, it was 14.7 days. In 2008, it was 20.9 days. This reflects a slowdown in case resolution, as both the state’s attorney and the public defender are working with fewer staff members.
"It is taking a little longer now to process cases," said Applebee.
There also has been a small but significant shift in the cases worked by the prosecutors. "Anecdotally I hear they have fewer cases, but more severe cases," he said.
With the avalanche of foreclosure cases in the courts, he said, judges have an increased workload too.
"This trend is not unique to Sarasota County," said Applebee. "Lee County and Hillsborough County have seen a drop in jail population."
The drop gives "breathing room" for prisoners and planners alike. Sarasota County was working hard to find a site to build a new jail before the existing facility came under federal supervision for overcrowding. The pressure to build a new jail has eased.
"There’s more time now for planning and education," said Applebee. "It’s a discussion with less urgency now. But this trend will reverse at some point, and we will need a plan. We don’t know how much longer this will go on."