Hamilton County Commissioner Joe GrahamOne Hamilton County commissioner wants to review how local judges deal with repeat offenders.
Several others want to ask the Legislature to stiffen penalties, even if it means paying to expand the capacity of local jails and prisons.
A recent spate of shootings, many thought to be gang-related, has piqued the commission's interest in the role of law enforcement and courts.
Commissioner Joe Graham released a statement last week, saying, "The commission is going to begin reviewing those decisions in serious and repeat offender cases, and identify those who irresponsibly reduce bonds and ridiculously return dangerous and repeat offenders back to the street."
Commissioners have no official oversight over the judiciary, which is a separate branch of government. Chairman Larry Henry said he thinks the commission should let the courts do their work.
"My opinion is solely this: We need to leave it up to the professionals who are dealing with this," Henry said.
Two weeks ago, Commissioner Fred Skillern proposed that the commission collect biweekly reports on repeat offenders who are charged with new offenses. At the time, however, he acknowledged that the commission has no "authority" over the setting of bonds or issuance of sentences. He said he wanted to make the information more available to the media.
In a show of consensus, commissioners assigned Security and Corrections Committee Chairman Mitch McClure to ask Chief Magistrate Larry Ables to prepare the reports.
"I did get a phone call," Ables said. "I've been told by Commissioner McClure that they're working on it."
Though Henry doesn't advocate oversight of the courts, he said he wouldn't be surprised to see the commission ask the Legislature "to make these laws more stringent."
McClure said he wants to see a strengthening of sentencing guidelines and also wants the Legislature to review changes the body made in 1989 when faced with an economic crunch caused by overcrowded penal facilities.
"Are we going to continue to let our children become gang members for economics?" he asked. "We've got to change those laws and, if we need to go to Silverdale [Detention Center] and build some more, I certainly would support that. We need to fill up every bed we've got to get these gang members off the streets."
Henry said he also supports expanding penal facilities if it comes to that.
"Nobody likes to pay more taxes for anything like that," Henry said. "I'd much rather build schools than jails, but if that's what it takes after our jails or penal facilities are full, if it comes to that and it's going to solve the problem, I can see spending for it."