The EXECUTIVE SUMMARY #23
… and that’s just disappointing.
On August 4, the Record Searchlight wrote an article entitled, Shasta County $20 million jail grant: Where it went, where it didn’t. The money was to build a 64-bed Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC), a medium security facility. http://reddingne.ws/2vB1rxd
Reading the article was a bit disheartening for me.
To begin, I am NOT going to rant about the decision made by Shasta County to return the $20 million to the State of California. I was not in the planning meetings, not part of the discussion, not briefed on the budget issues, and I am not about to ”Monday morning quarterback” the decision. In my opinion, no good for our community comes from that discourse. I just want to discuss it from a citizen’s perspective with the understanding that the only sustainable solution is to drive our economy forward (a topic for another time).
No involved person can argue the adverse impact AB 109, Prop 47, and soon Prop 57 have on the safety of our community. Unfortunately, we citizens have little control over this “legislation”. However, we must effectively address the adverse impact in any and all ways possible. From what I can see…and from what I hear, the primary issues are the lack of mental health resources and the shortage of jail beds to hold offenders while they await trial. This hold can also allow these offenders to be evaluated for the mental health challenges they face and/or the drug addictions with which they struggle. So, it seems to me an Adult Rehabilitation Center could have significantly helped to mitigate some of the adverse impacts.
Also, the ARC was a $20 million construction project. Not only did it allow us to receive money (our tax dollars) back FROM the State, but it also created good paying construction jobs. These jobs buy homes, feed families, and put much-needed money into our economy.
The ARC might have been a substantial step toward improving our community, but sadly, we will never know…and that’s just disappointing.
The EXECUTIVE SUMMARY by Joe Chimenti