Common Cause/NY Statement on Dutchess County Jail Bond Issue

NEW YORK, NY (03/18/2016)(readMedia)-- Common Cause /New York issued the following statement regarding the proposed Dutchess County bond issue to fund the construction of a new large county jail:

"Dutchess County residents deserve a more open and objective examination of the underlying assumptions used to justify the proposed issuance of bonds for the construction of a large county jail,¨said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. ¨At a time when over-all crime is dropping throughout Dutchess County, as in the rest of the state, it is bewildering that the County Legislature is rushing through measures to build a new jail based on projections that crime is on the rise. There is no doubt that Dutchess County should look to improve its criminal justice facilities, but county residents need to be assured that the County has thoroughly explored improving existing programs and keeping at-risk youth out of the prison pipeline with creative low-cost alternatives that invest in people rather than showcase jails that benefit wealthy special interests."