With Santa Clara County's Juvenile Hall crowded, and with its population, as officials acknowledge, including nonviolent offenders who don't belong with the hardened criminal youth element, it's long past time to put the William F. James Boys Ranch at full capacity.
That's why we can't understand why county probation department administrators, who had the authority to increase the number of beds at the James Boys Ranch from the current 60 to a maximum of 96 beds without any further approval from the county, instead went to the county to get approval to increase the number of beds to 108.
2. 60 vs. 84 vs. 96 vs. 108
What they got earlier this week, was approval to increase the number of beds to 84.
That means that, in pursuit of 12 more beds, county officials instead lost the right to add 12 beds.
Part of the problem was that Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, who heads the Public Safety and Justice Committee, wanted to force officials to pursue other alternatives, like group homes.
We also don't understand Alvarado's position: Increasing the number of beds at the James Boys Ranch can - and should - be done in concert with investigating other alternatives for young offenders who shouldn't be locked up in Juvenile Hall with hardened, violent youth.
3. Bad vs. better vs. perfect
The bottom line is this: No one is served by keeping nonviolent young offenders in Juvenile Hall with violent youth who can teach them how to become worse criminals. It's not good for the nonviolent offenders, it's not good for taxpayers and it's not good for society. Perhaps James Boys Ranch isn't ideal for all nonviolent offenders, but it's better than where they're currently being housed.
It's time that everyone: elected officials, probation department administrators and the general public remember that it's not wise to sacrifice improvement in pursuit of perfection.
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