Wayne County Jail push for more transparency with new data dashboard
(CBS DETROIT) - In a push for more transparency, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in partnership with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network has a new online data dashboard.
Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington says it's the first jail data dashboard of its kind to be implemented across the state of Michigan.
"We continued this project to make sure our citizens know what exactly is going on in the Wayne County Jail. The transparency part of our inmates, how long they have been here, how they've been treated even, the things they need from family members that are always concerned," Washington says.
Wayne County Chief of Jails Robert Dunlap says the dashboard, Wayne County Sheriff Connect, provides a better sense of direction for what the Wayne County Jail looks like with live updated statistics including how many are in the jail, who fills it and for how long.
"By using this dashboard, a judge can determine how long a particular felony has been in the jail and how it is impacting our operations," Dunlap says.
You can also find figures for mental health beds and after taking a closer look at the numbers, the dashboard revealing all male beds at this time are full.
"That is something a lot of our individuals that are here, they are waiting on beds at the state forensics center. Jail should not be the place for people who are severely mentally ill," Dunlap explained.
Other trends on the database include current inmates with felony charges versus those with misdemeanors, minor crimes that Dunlap says continues to cost the county $165 per day and approximately $10 million dollars a year.
And while the database is meant for more transparency, officials say they hope it also gives stakeholders in criminal justice a clearer idea on how their decisions can impact incarceration.
