Judge candidates discuss overcrowded jail at forum

A forum for the Monroe County Circuit Court judges seats six and nine was held Monday night in the Monroe County Public Library auditorium. The forum focused on the work non-profit organizations do in the county and how the candidates will utilize them to better the community.

Judge seat six candidates, Valeri Haughton and Joby D. Jerrells and Judge seat nine candidates, Elizabeth Ann Cure and Christine Talley Haseman, answered a series of three questions. In the candidates’ opening statements, all touched on the experience they can bring to their office.

Cure said her focus would be to write a grant for a program to improve the quality of life by helping newly released probationers get proper mediation and training to make sure they do not come back to the already overcrowded Monroe County Correctional Center.

“We don’t have to build bigger jails, and we can help them overcome some of the problems we find,” Cure said.

Haseman, Haughton and Jerrells all talked about the work Area 10 Agency on Aging has provided to the community and said proper training is a must.

Cure said she has been working on a grant looking for private money so she does not have to use tax dollars to fund a program to help newly released probationers. She said the program would provide the probationer with someone who has been incarcerated and is succeeding in staying out of the justice system.
“Everyone needs to go to recovery meetings,” Cure said.

Cure said the meetings would be a new way of life for the probationers by providing them with new people to hang out with and new activities.

Jerrells said the high incarceration rate is an example of the lack of teamwork in the justice system. He advocates for programs aimed at training and helping people get back into society.

All candidates urged voters to learn more about their individual campaigns and vote on Election Day.

This was the last of three local election forums hosted by the NonProfit Alliance for Monroe County.