Broward County to Close Another Jail Wing

Our Broward County defense lawyers have learned that the Broward County sheriff has decide to close a 544-bed tower at a Pompano Beach detention facility. In addition, 327 jail deputies will be laid off or demoted in order to save money. This controversial decision comes after a court order that jails may not exceed their designated capacity. Between 1986 and 1992, the county ran up $1.8 million in fines for overcrowding its jails.

Although Broward County once planned to build a new jail building, those plans have been tabled. This is the fourth consecutive year in which Broward County has decreased the number of jail beds. Although the Broward Sheriff says he doesn’t want to lower the bed count, budget cuts have forced him to do so. In fact, he estimates that there are already 19,000 suspects or convicts in Broward monitoring programs.

If the overcrowding problem continues in Broward County, the federal court could order the release of inmates with up to third-degree felonies, a fact that has many people concerned.

Source: Broward closing jail space; will suspects be released?, South Florida Sun Sentinel, June 1, 2010
Contact a Broward County criminal defense lawyer if you have been arrested and charged with a crime.