Douglas Robinson has been arrested so many times in the last two years – 74 to be precise, that he's close to getting his own keys to the building so he can let himself in and (mostly) out.
Earlier this week, he was supposedly being held for a maximum 90-day jail sentence on charges of solicitation and possession of illegal drugs. But when a worker for social services called the jail to make sure Robinson was held, they found that Robinson was already free -- released due to overcrowding, much like the other times he was arrested.
Robinson’s case is another example of how lack of jail space due to budget cuts affects the county’s criminal justice system on all levels. And for me, the fact we don't execute enough criminals to ease the overpopulation. Every one of Robinson’s arrests has meant work time for the Cincinnati Police Department, which has its own budget problems. And since he never comes back to court as promised, judges and their staff spend time issuing warrants. Still more officers have to go out and track down Robinson again. And last year the city closed 800 jail beds because of budget cuts, reducing the space to hold inmates by a third.
Voters have twice rejected tax increases to pay for a new jail or a jail expansion. That means lots of people are released simply because there is not room to keep them and others get out early. Last year more than 20,000 inmates were released because of overcrowding. Earlier this month a judge reported that he walked out of the justice center after conducting a series of bond hearings and saw a person he sentenced to spend 90 days in jail on a theft charge less than an hour earlier. The jail was so full that woman was told to come back in March to serve her time.
Robinson’s criminal history dates to spring 2008, when he was kicked out of a homeless shelter after being accused of theft. Records show he became a chronic problem downtown. The next 73 times generated 153 charges, mostly for panhandling and trespassing, but sometimes also with resisting arrest. This most recent arrested was on a charge of possession of drugs and tampering with evidence after Cincinnati police officers say they saw him on Pleasant Street with crack cocaine and a pipe to smoke it.
I think this proves you can't rehabilitate criminals and junkies. Where are our Brazilian death squads to solve the problem. That'll get my tax dollars for sure.
Earlier this week, he was supposedly being held for a maximum 90-day jail sentence on charges of solicitation and possession of illegal drugs. But when a worker for social services called the jail to make sure Robinson was held, they found that Robinson was already free -- released due to overcrowding, much like the other times he was arrested.Robinson’s case is another example of how lack of jail space due to budget cuts affects the county’s criminal justice system on all levels. And for me, the fact we don't execute enough criminals to ease the overpopulation. Every one of Robinson’s arrests has meant work time for the Cincinnati Police Department, which has its own budget problems. And since he never comes back to court as promised, judges and their staff spend time issuing warrants. Still more officers have to go out and track down Robinson again. And last year the city closed 800 jail beds because of budget cuts, reducing the space to hold inmates by a third.
Voters have twice rejected tax increases to pay for a new jail or a jail expansion. That means lots of people are released simply because there is not room to keep them and others get out early. Last year more than 20,000 inmates were released because of overcrowding. Earlier this month a judge reported that he walked out of the justice center after conducting a series of bond hearings and saw a person he sentenced to spend 90 days in jail on a theft charge less than an hour earlier. The jail was so full that woman was told to come back in March to serve her time.
Robinson’s criminal history dates to spring 2008, when he was kicked out of a homeless shelter after being accused of theft. Records show he became a chronic problem downtown. The next 73 times generated 153 charges, mostly for panhandling and trespassing, but sometimes also with resisting arrest. This most recent arrested was on a charge of possession of drugs and tampering with evidence after Cincinnati police officers say they saw him on Pleasant Street with crack cocaine and a pipe to smoke it.
I think this proves you can't rehabilitate criminals and junkies. Where are our Brazilian death squads to solve the problem. That'll get my tax dollars for sure.
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