To the editor:

There are countless reasons to say why Douglas County does not need a new jail. Foremost among them is that jail is not reformative, nor is it restorative. It is the opposite. Incarceration shatters families and dehumanizes those that are within its walls. Jails are breeding grounds for institutionalized racism and classism.

The Democratic Party in 2016, during its platform creation, clearly stated that it is “committed to reforming our criminal justice system and ending mass incarceration” and “Instead of investing in more jails and incarceration, we need to invest more in jobs and education, and end the school-to-prison pipeline.” The question now is why Mike Gaughan, former executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party, is ignoring the directive of his political party. It also begs the question if Ethan Corson, current executive director of the party, will turn away from the national party and support mass incarceration in “liberal” Douglas County. Simply put, does the Kansas Democratic Party favor mass incarceration over alternatives to jail?

If Democrats care about issues important to people on the ground, then they should oppose mass incarceration at the local level. Despite the misleading efforts of the Douglas County Commission, we, as residents of the county, must vote no on this proposition because mental health services are being held hostage.