Overcrowding leads to early release from jail

More than a dozen Kane County jail inmates have been released since July through a special program meant to relieve crowding at the county's new, $56 million correctional facility.

Sixteenth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge F. Keith Brown said the effort, which began July 2, involves nonviolent offenders who are reconsidered for bond reductions and electronic home monitoring. Other cases are being resolved early with court supervision and probation, he said Monday.

"We're going through and increasing our efforts to see what we can do to reduce the jail population without creating a risk to society," Brown said. "I'm looking at it as a function of the jail population."

As of Monday, the 640-inmate jail on Route 38 in St. Charles, which opened two years ago this month, had 704 inmates.

Sheriff Pat Perez said it hit a 2010 high of 708 about two weeks ago.

Although crime is more common during the summer months, State's Attorney John Barsanti said there has not been a large enough spike this year to explain why the jail is crowded.

Rather, he said, inmates appear to be returning more often on warrants for failure to appear in court and probation violations. Others are simply staying longer.

"The economy does play a role because people can't bond out as quickly," Barsanti said. "We walk a very fine line here. How many people do you want to let out of jail to reduce the population, and how many do want to keep in for public safety?"

Assistant Kane County State's Attorney Gail Zwemke, who has been tasked with identifying ways to reduce the population of the jail, said candidates for release are selected with input from the county probation department. Those chosen go to a special bond hearing before Judge Allen M. Anderson, who decides whether a defendant should be eligible for release and under what conditions.

So far, 17 inmates have been released after special bond calls July 2 and 22, according to Zwemke. She said additional sessions in front of Anderson are being called as needed, specifically when the jail reaches a population of about 680.

"It's another tool in our belt," Zwemke said.