La Salle County jail population down but layoffs averted with out-of-county inmates

The corrections officers at La Salle County Jail can exhale. Nobody is getting laid off. Any worries the jail doors would fly open and the guards let go simply has not happened.

That’s a relief for jail Superintendent Jason Edgcomb. When in September the SAFE-T Act made Illinois a no-cash bail state, there were reasons to worry La Salle County would have fewer inmates and thus require fewer guards.

A month after the elimination of cash bonds, the daily population has declined 14%. The census slid from an average 105 inmates to 90 – it would have been more were it not for transfers from Chicago and Bloomington-Normal – but Edgcomb prevailed upon county officials not to make premature reductions in staffing.

“There are other states that have done bail reform and they’ve had a rollercoaster effect,” Edgcomb said. “The numbers can be down and then abruptly spike.”

That’s one so-far known aspect of no-cash bail, which took effect Sept. 18. Most law enforcement agencies, however, still are in wait-and-see mode with respect to public safety, drug intervention and taxpayer impact.

Public safety

The most dangerous suspects still are in custody – but with some exceptions that have made La Salle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro none too happy.

At the outset, Navarro decided to oppose the release of suspects who present overt risks to public safety, those charged with killing, sexual assault and gun violence. There, prosecutors have been successful in keeping suspects locked up.

“We took the view that we would pick our battles. In order to pick your battles, you have to know which ones you have a chance of winning.”

—  Joe Navarro, La Salle County State's Attorney

Conversely, Navarro decided not to oppose the release of suspects in property crimes (those charged with burglary and forgery) or those whose crimes present an indirect threat to public safety, such as possession of illicit sexual images.

“We took the view that we would pick our battles,” Navarro said. “In order to pick your battles, you have to know which ones you have a chance of winning.”

Navarro correctly anticipated the winners – until the drug trafficking suspects came up.

Donisha Crawford, of Rock Island, charged with hauling 42 pounds of fentanyl-laced heroin, successfully petitioned for pre-trial release. Luis Y. Quinones-Pereira, of La Salle, was released within days of allegedly receiving a kilogram of cocaine by mail.

Navarro was incredulous – “Those are clearly a danger to the public” – and unhappy two potential flight risks, both ineligible for probation, were set loose before trial.

There are pending test cases that bear watching. Coming up are a suspect charged with aggravated battery to a child (albeit eligible for probation) and a man charged with dissemination of child pornography.

Failure-to-appear cases also are up for grabs. The SAFE-T Act is clear: Once a defendant is granted pre-trial release, they better make their court dates. One missed appearance after getting cut loose is grounds for detention.

But will the judges actually jail a no-show? Stay tuned.

Drug intervention

Edgcomb had contracted with drug rehabilitation and counseling services for inmates awaiting trial and he counted a growing number of success stories. Some addicts were using their jail time to get clean.

Now, the low-level possession suspects are bailing out of jail and out of treatment.

“Right now we have seven people – two out of custody – receiving help from us while waiting to see what happens with their cases. At one point we were up to about 15,” he said. “I think it’ s a huge setback because the high-risk people are getting put right back into the community without us being able to intervene.”

That, in turn, has raised the possibility newly-released drug suspects, still in the throes of addiction, would return to the streets. So far, however, data from the coroner’s office show overdoses have decreased, which is just one measurement of drug activity.

La Salle County Coroner Rich Ploch said overdoses are down sharply from 2022, a welcome change he’s trying to pinpoint. Ploch suspects the decreasing deaths is the result of greater awareness, quicker intervention and the availability of Narcan.

“I’m pleasantly surprised because some of the counties around us still are getting hit with overdoses,” Ploch said.

Taxpayer impact

Will the SAFE-T Act save taxpayers money or increase public costs? Answers are slow trickling in.

A reduction in the jail census has opened the doors for La Salle County to house overflow inmates from more populous counties wrestling with overcrowding. An intergovernmental agreement with McLean County will have generated $500,000 for La Salle County by year’s end. A deal with Cook County will bring thousands more.

On the other hand, criminal suspects frequently pay fines, costs and restitution with bond posted. With no more bond, there is potential for a revenue decline. La Salle County Circuit Clerk Greg Vaccaro said he’ll need at least six months to get a clearer picture on the financial impact.

Similarly, Navarro warned of additional paperwork – and, by extension, the potential need for more manpower – as the SAFE-T Act produced more appeals and more paperwork from suspects pressing the courts for release.

That is beginning to come to pass. A spokesman for the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts reported there were 57 appeals filed in the 3rd District Appellate Court, which governs seven counties including La Salle and Bureau, between Sept. 18 and Oct. 18.