Should Taxpayers Say Yes or No to Measure J and Gypsum Canyon Jail?

The point/counterpoint (Commentary, “The Jail Initiative: Urgently Needed or a Costly Boondoggle?” May 5) missed the fundamental issue of why Measure J even exists and why the voters of Orange County are being tallied. The issue is one of vision of the future and the leadership which fuels that vision.

There should be little debate in the county about arrestees being released from the County Jail system earlier than the arresting officer or sentencing judge would like. It is occurring on a daily basis, with or without alternative sentencing programs. Officer Rick Reese is correct and does represent my own views as a law enforcement officer when he states that another 10-year wait for a jail solution is unacceptable.

Prof. Henry Pontell is also correct in viewing the problem as a breakdown in the criminal justice system that cannot be addressed solely through the building of jails. Any police officer who works on the streets of Orange County today knows that the primary role of a police officer is that of a social arbitrator--not solely one as a law enforcement officer.

Police officers spend much more time assisting people with their social problems than they do arresting criminals. The police still have to make arrests and take people to jail, no matter what the root causes may be. Again, the key issue of a visionary approach to the solution has been missed.

The key issue in Measure J may not be specifically addressed on May 14, but requires our attention nonetheless. The issue is a vision of our future, the necessary leadership by our elected officials in setting policy and in their ability to motivate others toward accomplishing that policy.

Today, as a result of a lack of leadership, we need new jails but have none; we need more juvenile justice facilities but have none; we need more social programs but have none, and we need more crime prevention programs but have none. Measure J tells us nothing about how the new money will be spent in solving these problems.

Measure J is a contradiction in terms. We certainly do need money to solve our criminal justice system problems--but money alone is no solution! Before I vote yes, I want a plan on how the money will be spent and on who will be accountable when the money is spent.

So, it really doesn’t matter what happens on May 14. Either way, Orange County will be no closer to a solution than we are today and there appears to be no hope in sight. Measure J addresses neither vision nor leadership and should be defeated!

RICHARD A. WHITE JR., Orange