With the declining jail population, does Sarasota County still need a new jail?
The jail population has decreased in the last year or two, making it less urgent to build more jail facilities. It is realistic, however, to believe that in the next 10 years or so, we will need to have more jail facilities ready and they must be planned ahead of time. One reason the jail population decreased is because the sheriff identified a number of prisoners who were not legally in this country and turned them over to immigration services to be deported. In addition, jail diversionary programs that provide counseling and monitoring have proven effective both delivered within and outside of the jail itself. How do you address your opponent’s criticism of you as a “career politician?” It’s not true. My career has been much more than politics. I began my career as a teacher. I purchased and successfully ran Greenwood Garden Center for years before selling the business. I was, and still am, a licensed real-estate broker. I have been, and am, a principal and investor in a number of co
