Fewer female imates released early this year

No one's quite sure what's why, but early releases and "process only" releases of female inmates at the jail are way down from this time last year.

The news comes just five months after voters rejected a tax increase to build a bigger jail and fund public safety programs.

Hamilton County Administrator Patrick Thompson told county commissioners Monday that during the first quarter of 2008 no male inmates were released early or "processed only" -- a term used when inmates are booked, but are then released instead of kept in jail. The same held true for the first quarter of last year.

However, where female inmates are concerned, the numbers are way down.

When comparing the first quarter of 2007 to the same period in 2008, the number of early releases and process-only arrests for women decreased 65.6 percent (from 32 to 11) and 37.5 percent (from 1,106 to 521) respectively.

So what's causing the drop? No one really knows.

Thompson noted that the Criminal Justice Commission is working on several projects to reduce the jail population, but said "the full effect of these efforts will not be seen until later in 2008 and into 2009."

One of the commissioners suggested that the crime rate in Cincinnati is down, which could have contributed to the drop.

Winter is always typically a slow time of year for the jail, Thompson noted. He expects the numbers to increase.

Whatever the reason, no one is complaining.