by David E. Geiger, MEE, PE (ret.)
A few days ago, in mid-January 2024 I was getting a ride home from my auto-service dealer when we passed what used to be an office for a bail bond dealer. He was not there anymore. Times have changed. Nowadays the inmate is in jail for a few days and then he is out on the street to raise unholy hell again.
A few years ago, I was distributing my book In the Matter of Edwin Potter and gave a copy to the Bergen County, NJ Director of Housing, Health, and Human Services. She took me to lunch. She had just come back from a Congressional hearing where she was to explain how she had improved the lot of the homeless in the county. She also introduced me to the county jail psychologist (now retired) who explained to me how things worked. After the arrest and placement of the individual in the jail, they were let out because that is what the law called for. Jail personnel objected and wanted to keep these guys inside long enough to teach them English and some job skills. The law did not call for that. This is what my legislation calls for. Let’s hope we can make some progress on it.