City looking at alternatives to crowded jail

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

With overcrowding at the Fayette County Jail a key issue in the past few days, Peachtree City is looking at ways it can alleviate the problem.

At last week's City Council meeting, City Attorney Rick Lindsey, who is also the solicitor for the municipal court, said county attorney Bill McNally told him Peachtree City wasn't causing the problem. McNally said Peachtree City's municipal court has not "abused the jail," Lindsey said.

Still, Lindsey promised McNally that he would look at using alternative sentences to jail time "but I need the jail as a club for the ultimate punishment we can offer out of municipal court."

Lindsey indicated that other punishments than jail time might be more effective in curbing offenders from breaking the law again.

"I have found in the last two weeks that asking the court for community service is sometimes a worse punishment for some of these young people than going to jail," Lindsey said.

Lindsey said he was informed that approximately 90 percent of the city's probationers lose the right to probation when they break the law again. In the past, Lindsey has argued that such offenders should spend at least 24 hours in jail, but he might revisit that idea.

The county is asking cities to consider setting bonds so accused persons can immediately post bond without having to go to the jail and possibly wait up to 72 hours for a bond hearing, Lindsey said.

Contrary to rumors that had circulated, the county jail will not refuse to take city prisoners, Lindsey said. That was cleared up at a meeting between representatives of the counties and cities last Thursday evening, Lindsey said. "They will be taking Peachtree City prisoners," Lindsey said. "And we will work with the county to try and solve the overcrowding problem at the jail."

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