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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Jailhouse Bravos
To the editor: Staff writer Dan McGraw’s revealing and definitive chronology of Tarrant County’s abysmal application of the pre-trial release program (“Jailhouse Blues,” Dec. 7, 2005) will serve justice if it propels the Texas Legislature to correct the inherent flaws and end the buffet of excuses for not applying fair and equal administration that the program was created for, particularly involving non-violent, low-risk inmates.
Oh sure, the local commercial bail bond companies with their political force try to usurp the county program — it’s all based on avarice, and ultimately it’s their profit and the taxpayers’ burden to house and feed these “criminals” until trial if they are unable to get access to the pre-trial program.
There ought to also be a standard in place, instead of allowing municipal court judges, with their discretionary powers, to eliminate the possibility of early release for some people.
Judge Coffey, who compares the process of booking to a hospital emergency room, summed it up when he said, “We have to get better at doing criminal justice triage.” Of course, the bottom line is always going to spell m-o-n-e-y, and until the county commissioners change their ways or get them changed via state mandate, it’s just the same old carousel going ’round and ’round
Edna Maskell, Fort Worth
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