To the editor:

I applaud the Journal-World editorial published Dec. 12 supporting avoiding jail expansion if at all possible. The saying “If you build it, they will come” unfortunately applies to filling jail beds as much as it does filling baseball stands.

If we want our community to be an example to others of compassionate, progressive, problem-solving citizenry, then now is the time to put our money where our mouth is. If we are to invest a significant amount of our tax-paying resources, let’s do it wisely, with an eye to big-picture societal remedies, instead of tunnel-vision short-term band-aids. People in our community are hurting. A mental health crisis center is a no-brainer start on how to divert citizens in need to the correct form of treatment and most likely keep them out of the jail’s front door.

Why tie this win-win to a jail expansion vote? A look at the court system’s fines and district attorney’s office procedures for handling low-risk misdemeanors would also seem to be another logical step in addressing criminal justice needs in Douglas Country before adding more brick-and-mortar costs to the current broken system. Respectfully, we’re all in this together.