The jail population increased significantly this quarter
From September 2016 to September 2017, the jail’s average daily inmate count increased by roughly 11 percent, from 1,474 people to 1,640 people, respectively. The increase in the jail population this quarter is striking, but it is still too early to determine if this represents an overall trend or an isolated spike. It should be noted that in the longer term—from January 2016 to September 2017—the jail population decreased by roughly 10 percent.
Collaborative efforts to reduce the jail population through the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Safety and Justice Challenge—among other efforts—are ongoing, with the aim to bring the population down to 1,277 by May 2019.
