All across the state of Michigan, there are thousands of people awaiting trial who have been released from jail as long as they wear an electronic tether. But all it takes in one person on a tether to commit a violent crime and people start questioning the system. So as of now, the question remains: are tethers the right choice for those awaiting trials?
With regards to Detroit, this question is a tricky one. The metro-Detroit area covers three counties in southeastern Michigan. These are Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties. But just because these three counties house the sprawl that is urban Detroit, it doesn’t mean that they agree on everything. And one of those areas where they just don’t seem able to come to an agreement is the issue of tethers.
Wayne county uses far more tethers for its criminal defendants than Macomb and Oakland Counties. This is in part due to the fact that Wayne county has more poverty in its population, which means that the county has less tax dollars to spend on the corrections system.
The Fiscal Reason for Increased Tethers
It costs Wayne county just over $150 a day to feed and house an inmate. Put the inmate on a tether, however, and the cost is reduced to only $23 a day. A substantial difference. One that has saved the county about $20 million every year. Which makes sense from a fiscal standpoint. But is it worth it, people are asking, when the lives of the general population are at a greater risk of violence?
Those who support the use of tethers say that the electronic monitoring system works. It benefits both the county and the released inmate. In addition to the money that the county saves by having less people behind bars, the released inmates are allowed to continue holding down jobs and interacting with their families.
But detractors are arguing that this is hardly a benefit, when there are accused rapists and murderers walking around. And the statistics certainly seem to point in their favor. According to the MSP, Wayne County had 10 times as many murders in 2014 than Macomb and Oakland counties combined. And the robbery and rape statistics are higher too.
Given those statistics, is it a good idea for the county to allow so many violent offenders to walk the streets with only a tether separating them from the rest of the population? Wayne county certainly seems to think so. And when you look at the financial savings versus the number of violent criminals who reoffend once they’re monitored electronically by the Corrections department, one can hardly blame them.
So what is the right choice? Should we release more arrested people, including those who are accused of violent crimes, on the grounds that the system works most of the time? Or is most of the time not often enough? Chances are, the answer to that question will probably be decided based on finances, but it is an interesting subject for debate. What do you think?