Malèna
12thMay2005, 23:44
source:
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=93343
NEWS 14 CAROLINA
Illegal immigrants crowd local jails
By: Lisa Reyes
12 May 2005
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifInmate Population
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif
Sheriff Jim Pendergraph said help is desperately needed on a national level because illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the system.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif
[/url] [url="http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=93343&addvid=60893"] (http://javascript<b></b>:watchVid('60893'))
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The inmate population is rising in Mecklenburg County, and Sheriff Jim Pendergraph says it has a lot to do with illegal immigrants.
Just last month, he and other sheriffs sent a resolution to Congress and asked lawmakers to tighten border security.
"We're seeing a rise in the number of illegal immigrants in the jail,” Pendergraph said Thursday. “That's affecting our jail population.”
Pendergraph said illegal immigrants made up 2 percent of his inmate population three years ago. Now, they make up 12 percent.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/media/2005/5/12/images/01_12-jail.jpg http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifThe jail population is growing in Mecklenburg County, according to Sheriff Jim Pendergraph. http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif"In the next two years, if something's not done, we're going to have to build some new jail facilities,” he said.
Criminal attorney Jim Gronquist said he has seen an increase in cases involving illegal immigrants, especially for traffic offenses and drug charges. He said North Carolina does not have a speedy trial act or sufficient funding for the criminal justice system.
"People get backed up in the jails because they're sitting, they’re waiting to go to court, and the (district attorneys) don't have enough people to prosecute cases,” Gronquist said. “We don’t have enough judges to hear cases.”
.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/media/2005/5/12/images/02_12-jail2.jpg http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifMecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifGronquist said another contributing factor is prejudice against immigrants.
"Sentences are longer” for them, he said. “They are more often found guilty, I think, because the prejudice and bias exists there."
Pendergraph said he has some ideas to curb the problem, including alternative housing and electronic monitoring for low-level offenders. But he said help is still desperately needed on a national level because illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the system.
"I'm not against immigration,” he said. “I'm against illegal immigration and people going around the law, skirting the law, circumventing the system to get into our country."
Pendergraph's department is working with U.S. Customs to help determine which inmates are legal. Those who are found to be illegal might be sent back to their home country instead of serving time behind bars in the United States.
source:
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=93343
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=93343
NEWS 14 CAROLINA
Illegal immigrants crowd local jails
By: Lisa Reyes
12 May 2005
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifInmate Population
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif
Sheriff Jim Pendergraph said help is desperately needed on a national level because illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the system.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif
[/url] [url="http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=93343&addvid=60893"] (http://javascript<b></b>:watchVid('60893'))
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The inmate population is rising in Mecklenburg County, and Sheriff Jim Pendergraph says it has a lot to do with illegal immigrants.
Just last month, he and other sheriffs sent a resolution to Congress and asked lawmakers to tighten border security.
"We're seeing a rise in the number of illegal immigrants in the jail,” Pendergraph said Thursday. “That's affecting our jail population.”
Pendergraph said illegal immigrants made up 2 percent of his inmate population three years ago. Now, they make up 12 percent.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/media/2005/5/12/images/01_12-jail.jpg http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifThe jail population is growing in Mecklenburg County, according to Sheriff Jim Pendergraph. http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gif"In the next two years, if something's not done, we're going to have to build some new jail facilities,” he said.
Criminal attorney Jim Gronquist said he has seen an increase in cases involving illegal immigrants, especially for traffic offenses and drug charges. He said North Carolina does not have a speedy trial act or sufficient funding for the criminal justice system.
"People get backed up in the jails because they're sitting, they’re waiting to go to court, and the (district attorneys) don't have enough people to prosecute cases,” Gronquist said. “We don’t have enough judges to hear cases.”
.
http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/media/2005/5/12/images/02_12-jail2.jpg http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifhttp://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifMecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph http://www.news14charlotte.com/images/750.gifGronquist said another contributing factor is prejudice against immigrants.
"Sentences are longer” for them, he said. “They are more often found guilty, I think, because the prejudice and bias exists there."
Pendergraph said he has some ideas to curb the problem, including alternative housing and electronic monitoring for low-level offenders. But he said help is still desperately needed on a national level because illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the system.
"I'm not against immigration,” he said. “I'm against illegal immigration and people going around the law, skirting the law, circumventing the system to get into our country."
Pendergraph's department is working with U.S. Customs to help determine which inmates are legal. Those who are found to be illegal might be sent back to their home country instead of serving time behind bars in the United States.
source:
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=93343