There is agreement that our jail is inadequate, but our community is deeply divided on whether the present jail should/can be renovated/expanded or a larger jail constructed. To get beyond this disagreement we need good, credible information that only impartial experts can provide.
The first information we need is how large a jail will be needed. A key question is how much a comprehensive jail diversion program can reduce the projected jail population. The Director of the Texas Jail Commission recommends a study of who is in jail, who is responsible to reduce their time in jail, and how we could achieve this reduction by implementing the Commission's best jail diversion practices. A model for doing this is he process the State mandated for its crisis services jail diversion program for the mentally ill implemented locally by our Community Mental Health Center (MHMRST).
All the stakeholders, constables, police departments, commissioners, sheriff, district attorney, judges, probation, MHMRST,etc., should be included in studying, prioritizing and planning the program. Using this model, representatives from these stakeholders could more accurately project appropriate jail requirements and work cooperatively to implement an appropriate jail diversion program to reduce the beds needed.
The second information we need is whether the present jail can be appropriately renovated/expanded. To resolve this we need an independent expert study. The City of Sherman, SEDCO, and the Commissioners Court agreed to jointly fund this study, but the commissioners changed their minds. Surely the modest cost of a study would be money well spent because it would credibly give us expert impartial advice on the feasibility of any project.
The citizens of Grayson County deserve and should demand that our leaders collaborate in providing the leadership we need to secure the information and planning needed to move forward toward planning a jail diversion program and appropriately remedying the inadequacies of our jail. I hope that Judge Bynum and Sheriff Gary will give initial leadership and that all the stakeholders will collaborate. Our community deserves, and should demand, nothing less.
Dr. Thomas W. Nuckols
Sherman