John Eby on Public Safety

Patrick Morrison, Finneytown asked

If the sales tax to fund a new jail is overturned by the voters on Election Day, what do you propose council does to deal with the shortage of jail space?

John Eby’s response:

If the vote on the comprehensive safety plan fails then the city and the county will be forced to sustain the status quo. That translates into continued early releases, few treatment programs, a high recidivism rate, and revolving door at the justice center. Does that sound like a cost effective and efficient way to create clean and safe streets in Cincinnati and Hamilton County?

At a minimum the Mayor, City Council, the Sheriff and the County Commissioners will have to come together to find a temporary and permanent solution to this very real problem. However, that solution cannot only consist of building a temporary or new jail. That proposal will fail and will continue fail in the future.

I’ve spoken about this often, but again we’re looking at the “AND” Principle. The solution has to address the issue of building a jail and reducing recidivism by providing opportunity. By that I mean opportunities for those in prison to leave a life of crime through job training, drug and alcohol treatment, mental health treatment, and educational programs. The resources to change people’s lives are within our reach, it is now a matter of bring them all together to work on the solution. Regional cooperation can no longer just be a campaign buzzword, it has to become reality. When elected to city council I pledge to work in a tri-partisan and regional manner to help increase safety and security in our community.

For more information about me visit www.johneby.com