TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Pima County's efforts to reduce its jail population are paying off.
The Arizona Daily Star reports that County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said in a memo that as of April 11 saved over $130,000 as a result of 40 defendants being released from the jail either through referrals to residential treatment facilities or releases to enhanced case supervision for substance-abuse or mental-health issues.
A new committee in mid-March began assessing the custody status of inmates to identify safe and effective release conditions while considering public-safety concerns, and the county hired a retired corrections officer in the new position of jail population coordinator
The county plans to open a modular building outside the jail to use as a pre-booking area to prevent non-violent offenders from being booked in the first place.
