Bail Burden Keeps U.S. Jails Stuffed With Inmates

[Ravi]

Someone can't read.

Leslie Chew didn't walk out of the Lubbock jail until eight months after he arrived, costing taxpayers $9,120. Prosecutors eventually gave him time served for his blanket theft. But there was a condition: He had to plead guilty to felony theft.



When he left, Chew found out his station wagon had been repossessed. Without a place to sleep, he wound up at a homeless shelter. A few months ago, he almost got a job as a maintenance man, but when the owners saw a felony conviction on his record, they pulled the offer.
In October, Chew walked back into the Lubbock jail and asked the night officer if he could have his old job back, cleaning the jail's floors. But those jobs are reserved for the half-million people in this country who can't make bail.



Nobody has seen Leslie Chew since.

 

[Ravi]

I understand the crux of the debate, it is economically justified to house a pre trial inmate for misdemeanor theft? The amount was under TX's $$ felony amount.

Depends of his previous record, etc. He could have been issued a citation, as I know of no state that has a mandatory arrest for a misdemeanor theft.

If he failed to answer the citation, then an arrest warrant could be issued. I suppose issuing a citation can be equivalent to a no hold bail.

Yes, he could have been issued a citation. Even homeless people have ties to their community and I cannot think of a good reason to spend taxpayer money in this wasteful manner.

True. Say he was issued a citation/summons and then was caught again at any crime while awaiting trial, then he is a so called (loosely) a habitual offender and then they can slam dunk him. OR possibly he was caught at this while awaiting trial for another offense?? The article states nothing of this though.

In the story it stated this was his only offense.

 

[AkronGuy]

No, at the end it stated that he eventually got a hearing and recieved probation and time served and a fine. He defaulted on the fine and fled after his probation was violated. But his whole story strikes me as extremely sketchy, that he or the writer left out some details.

1. Did he waive his right to speedy trial ?

2. Why didn't he invoke it ?

3. Why didn't his public defender invoke such a basic thing for someone who's been remanded.

4. Why didn't he ask for legal aid or go to the law library and get the form for the motion for a speedy trial ?

Then again, some homeless people commit crimes to be housed and fed. Petty crimes are jail time, much easier than prison time.

Very true, but this story is in Texas. But in my opinion, he stole expensive blankets, and that he has a drug problem and was going to trade them for dope, a dope boy would take it, it'd make a nice gift for his old lady. Or that he owed someone money or someone had beef with him. I live on the northcoast and here during the winter the homeless will do that if the weather is bad enough.

 

[AkronGuy]

Then again, some homeless people commit crimes to be housed and fed. Petty crimes are jail time, much easier than prison time.

Remember his original crime, stealing to stay warm.

Realize that he could've gotten blankets by going to homeless outreach programs or charities. This story takes place in an urban area, and him being homeless for a substantial length of time, he knew exactly where he could go and get blankets. I think he stole them to feed a drug habit, or he needed to check into jail to escape something.

 

[AkronGuy]

Someone can't read.

Leslie Chew didn't walk out of the Lubbock jail until eight months after he arrived, costing taxpayers $9,120. Prosecutors eventually gave him time served for his blanket theft. But there was a condition: He had to plead guilty to felony theft.



When he left, Chew found out his station wagon had been repossessed. Without a place to sleep, he wound up at a homeless shelter. A few months ago, he almost got a job as a maintenance man, but when the owners saw a felony conviction on his record, they pulled the offer.
In October, Chew walked back into the Lubbock jail and asked the night officer if he could have his old job back, cleaning the jail's floors. But those jobs are reserved for the half-million people in this country who can't make bail.



Nobody has seen Leslie Chew since.

He more than likely got probation, you don't walk away from a felony conviction with only time served unless you've served the maximum sentence. Otherwise they'll give you probation. Of course they're not going to say that since this is an obvious spin piece, it wouldn't fit into the message they're spinning.

 

[AkronGuy]

Yes, he could have been issued a citation. Even homeless people have ties to their community and I cannot think of a good reason to spend taxpayer money in this wasteful manner.

True. Say he was issued a citation/summons and then was caught again at any crime while awaiting trial, then he is a so called (loosely) a habitual offender and then they can slam dunk him. OR possibly he was caught at this while awaiting trial for another offense?? The article states nothing of this though.

In the story it stated this was his only offense.

But they're also going to figure his housing situation into their bond decision. If you're not from the community, the bond's going to be higher, if you have no family or a job, they're going to give you a higher bond. That's all part of how the system works.

 

[Ravi]

I heard that this afternoon.

What an unbelievable waste of taxpayer's money. It would actually be cheaper for all of us if we paid the bond of these people.

That fucking bail bondsman has my vote for biggest fucking asshole of all time.

And that's saying quite bit considering the number of assholes. It is quite amazing to me how broken the prison system is and yet you never see really anyone talking about that little factoid.

I would hope we could all agree that this is a travesty of justice and the costs incurred are beyond what we should be paying.

Apparently I was wrong.

A lot of people seem to be okay with this manner of wasting taxpayer's money.

 

[AkronGuy]

And that's saying quite bit considering the number of assholes. It is quite amazing to me how broken the prison system is and yet you never see really anyone talking about that little factoid.

I would hope we could all agree that this is a travesty of justice and the costs incurred are beyond what we should be paying.

Apparently I was wrong.

A lot of people seem to be okay with this manner of wasting taxpayer's money.

What I have a problem with is why did it take so long ? And why didn't he invoke his right to a speedy trial ?

 

[uscitizen]

$10...I just write it off as a cost of doing business.

Does it become a business loss on a tax balance sheet?
And will that in the long run make others pay more taxes?

Yeah I know I am pushing it a bit

My point is there is not any free lunch, someone always pays.

Expecting the taxpayer's to pay $7,000 + to keep someone in jail that attempted to steal a $10 item is stupid. Extremely stupid.

Keeping someone in jail is more likely with someone who stole $10 than $10 million.
This is America.
You get as much "justice" as you can afford.

 

[Ravi]

Does it become a business loss on a tax balance sheet?
And will that in the long run make others pay more taxes?

Yeah I know I am pushing it a bit

My point is there is not any free lunch, someone always pays.

Expecting the taxpayer's to pay $7,000 + to keep someone in jail that attempted to steal a $10 item is stupid. Extremely stupid.

Keeping someone in jail is more likely with someone who stole $10 than $10 million.
This is America.
You get as much "justice" as you can afford.

Very true. Doesn't make it right or cost effective, though.

 

[AkronGuy]

Of course people forget that everywhere in America, homeless get high bonds. That's how it rolls. The rich are easy to hunt down and trace, the homeless are much harder to trace.