Corrections study enters "debate"

Hamilton County Commissioners David Pepper and Pat DeWine held a debate Monday night on Issue 27, also known as the "Comprehensive Safety Plan" or the "Super-sized tax increase" depending on who you ask.



An interesting thing about this debate that hasn't been quite so prevalent at some other public speaking engagements was the use of the Vera Institute of Justice. The non-profit organization specializes in helping governments solve justice-related problems. It was contacted last year to compile and analyze data about Hamilton County's corrections system. It issued a report last year and are working now on new numbers to quantify things like who is in jail, and why and how long they stay there.

Both commissioners referenced Vera in their answers to almost every question. The Vera study, its data, and even the institution's very presence in Hamilton County were used by both commissioners to back up their (at times very different) points.

DeWine said Vera studies conclude a bigger jail will just fill up unless the whole justice system is reformed, so therefore he thinks Issue 27 (80 percent of the money goes to jail/jail operations vs. treatment) just won't work.

Pepper argues that the Vera studies actually show that the safety plan, crafted by him and Commissioner Todd Portune, is exactly what will work because it also creates a committee to figure out whether treatment programs are working.

New data from Vera is expected to come out in the next few weeks. So it will be interesting to see what that adds to the Issue 27 discussion. In the meantime, stay tuned for a list of future Pepper/DeWine debates.