By Ian Berry
Staff Writer
Current Hamilton County inmates who have spent at least 180 days in jail have cost taxpayers $2.5 million, according to numbers released by the county on today.
County Mayor Claude Ramsey told members of the county’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Advisory Committee at a lunch meeting that the numbers demonstrated a problem with how long it takes inmates to get to trial. He said he wanted to bounce the numbers off the committee members and hopefully generate ideas to “see how we can move it a little bit faster, if possible.”
The committee, which included judges, Sheriff John Cupp and Chattanooga Police Chief Steve Parks, said there were no easy answers.
“There are so many reasons why cases take so long,” said Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern. “There’s no one reason.”
The list released today included 105 inmates. The most expensive inmate is Nicholas Todd Hilt, who is on trail for the rape and beating of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son. Keeping Mr. Hilt in custody for 1,239 days has cost $74,587.
E-mail Ian Berry at iberry@timesfreepress.com
See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for full coverage.
Staff Writer
Current Hamilton County inmates who have spent at least 180 days in jail have cost taxpayers $2.5 million, according to numbers released by the county on today.
County Mayor Claude Ramsey told members of the county’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Advisory Committee at a lunch meeting that the numbers demonstrated a problem with how long it takes inmates to get to trial. He said he wanted to bounce the numbers off the committee members and hopefully generate ideas to “see how we can move it a little bit faster, if possible.”
The committee, which included judges, Sheriff John Cupp and Chattanooga Police Chief Steve Parks, said there were no easy answers.
“There are so many reasons why cases take so long,” said Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern. “There’s no one reason.”
The list released today included 105 inmates. The most expensive inmate is Nicholas Todd Hilt, who is on trail for the rape and beating of his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son. Keeping Mr. Hilt in custody for 1,239 days has cost $74,587.
E-mail Ian Berry at iberry@timesfreepress.com
See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for full coverage.
