Bill Lee has a chance to unite state and local governments for justice reform
By David Eichenthal & Ronal Serpas | Published in The Tennessean | December 13, 2018
In his post-election remarks, Governor-elect Bill Lee highlighted the need for criminal justice reform designed to reduce recidivism. Success will require a new compact between state and local government.
The need for action is clear. According to FBI crime data from 2017, Tennessee had the third-highest violent crime rate in the nation, and in that same year, there were 527 homicides – up by 57 percent over just a five-year period.
The fiscal cost of responding to crime has been high as well.
In 2016, Tennessee state and local governments spent just over $3 billion on police and corrections.
Both of us have worked in local government in Tennessee and with many local governments across the country.
Based on our experience, we know that there are solutions that can increase public safety and not add further burdens to taxpayers. But these solutions will require a different approach for both state and local governments across the Volunteer State.
There are some basic principles for a new approach that reduces crime and makes sense fiscally.
Five ways that local police can approach the problem
First, local police departments need policies and programs that create alternatives to arrest and booking.
Officers spend considerable time and resources repeatedly arresting people for less serious offenses.
Alternatives can provide services to offenders to reduce criminal activity and allow law enforcement to focus on violent crimes. These policies can also reduce overtime costs because they allow officers to spend more time on patrol.
Second, successful policing requires partnership with communities. Crime reduction can only be sustained if the public is willing to report crimes and provide information to the police.
When police engage in acts of abuse or misconduct, they put that partnership at risk. More professional policing that builds community confidence in the department could also reduce the risk of liability for officer actions – a potentially crippling financial blow for smaller cities.
Third, current prosecution and punishment policies need to be reconsidered. In the last 10 years, the number of felons in the Tennessee state correctional system has grown by 12 percent and the population of those in local jails who have been charged with crimes, but not convicted, has increased by nearly 40 percent. In some cases, the best way to reduce jail population could be as straight forward as improving the efficiency of local court operations so that cases are disposed of more timely.
Fourth, state and local policymakers need to take a long view of the crime problem. This means supporting programs that prevent and reduce youth violence, aiding prisoner re-entry and reducing criminal access to firearms. Investments in prevention have proven to reduce costs and improve public safety.
Finally, there needs to be a new state-local compact. State leaders need to recognize that this is not just a Memphis or Nashville or Chattanooga problem: it is a Tennessee problem.
Starting during the transition, the governor-elect should consider bringing together state and local officials to craft the details of how a joint effort could work.
The election of a new governor provides a moment in time when leaders across parties and across Tennessee can come up with a new approach.
David Eichenthal is the former city finance officer in Chattanooga and a managing director with The PFM Group and director of PFM’s Center for Justice and Safety Finance. Dr. Ronald Serpas is the former chief of police in Nashville and a senior advisor to PFM’s Center for Justice and Safety Finance.