By Doug Ireland
The Eagle-Tribune
BRENTWOOD, N.H. — Two years ago, a panel of Rockingham County officials and state lawmakers was tasked with finding solutions to overcrowding at the jail.
An average of 350 inmates occupied the 387 beds at the facility and expanding the jail was a costly alternative the county couldn’t afford, jail superintendent Stephen Church said.
But the success of alternatives aimed at reducing the inmate population means there are now only about 250 on a daily basis, prompting the closure of a 48-bed cell block, Church said.
The cell block is undergoing a long-overdue renovation, using some inmate labor, and will remain closed until needed, Church said. It was shut down three weeks ago.
“It’s something we are quite proud of,” Church said. “Two years ago, I was looking at how to go before the taxpayers and the (county legislative) delegation to get $40 million to $60 million for a new facility.”
Lawmakers, county and jail officials knew building an addition or constructing a new correctional facility wasn’t a feasible option for the financially strapped county.
So, they sought ways to relieve the overcrowding through alternatives such as diversion programs.
The programs included increased use of electronic monitoring for nonviolent offenders, Church said. Inmates are allowed to be free as long as they are strictly monitored.
Rockingham County’s successful 3-year-old Drug Court program also means fewer people are being incarcerated at taxpayer expense, Church said.
The program’s 15 to 20 participants are allowed to work and be with their families, all while meeting strict requirements and being closely supervised, according to Church and county commissioners.
“It’s fiscally responsible for the taxpayers and socially responsible to how we are treating them,” Church said.
Commission Chairman Thomas Tombarello said it’s good news for the county and a morale booster at the 105-employee jail.
“We’re thrilled that block is closed,” he said. “We’re thrilled to see some of these programs are working.”
Tombarello said incarcerating fewer nonviolent inmates saves the county and taxpayers money. It costs $100 a day to house each inmate, he said.
Renovating the jail has not been an option because it’s been near capacity, Tombarello said. When the jail’s size doubled in 1991, it was only designed to accommodate 300 inmates, Church said.
Approximately 45 inmates — most arrested on drug or theft charges — are being monitored electronically from home at their own expense, instead of the county’s, Church said. That compares to about 15 a year ago, he said.
Tombarello and fellow Commissioner Kevin St. James praised the success of the inmate diversion programs.
“Some of them don’t need to be in that jail,” Tombarello said. “Some of them need to be back on the street so they can get their lives back together. But, of course, we don’t want anyone dangerous out there.”
Church said there is chance the cell block could reopen in the next several months because the inmate population tends to rise sharply in the summer because of a traditional increase in arrests. The number of jail employees will not be affected, he said.
To help reduce the inmate population further, the county is applying for a major grant through the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Church said.
The Safety and Justice Challenge grant could provide up to $2 million so the county can take further steps to reduce its inmate population and rehabilitate offenders, he said.
“The grant can can help us with alternative sentencing,” St. James said. “It would allow us to do so much more.”
Chief Justice Tina Nadeau, the head of the state superior court system, said in a statement the grant would be beneficial. Applying for the money was a joint effort that included the New Hampshire Judicial Branch, local law enforcement and the state’s public defender program.
“Together we can find a way to reduce crime, reduce overreliance on the jails, protect the public and return offenders to the community as contributing members,” Nadeau said.