Post by SoulTrainOz on Jul 7, 2006 0:04:44 GMT -5
The majority of criminal cases adjudicated in Bexar County each year result in probated sentences.
It also happens throughout the state and country. There are not enough jails and prisons to house all those who confess or are convicted of criminal wrongdoing.
Keeping probationers on a short leash is crucial to the criminal justice system, with drug testing, community service hours and counseling often mandated to keep probationers in line.
The disclosure last week that the lack of refrigerators and sufficient personnel at the urinalysis lab operated by the Bexar County Adult Probation Department has compromised 15,000 urine samples taken by probationers is cause for alarm.
The problems surfaced after criminal courts officials gave Probation Deputy Chief Paul Kosierowski permission to destroy 15,000 urine samples taken from probationers for drug testing.
Some samples had been sitting, at room temperature, since January waiting to be tested, staff writer Tom Bower reported. Kosierowski, said the samples are not good after 10 days.
Probation officials said they began having problems with the workload last fall, and the request for urinalysis exceeded the lab's capacity by January.
If that is so, why did it take six months to address the issue and why doesn't the lab have adequate refrigeration space to store samples?
The criminal court judges and county commissioners need to address these issues immediately.
Doing otherwise could undermine the entire criminal justice system in the county and create a series of legal challenges to findings made by the county's urinalysis lab.
(source: Editorial, San Antonio Express-News)
It also happens throughout the state and country. There are not enough jails and prisons to house all those who confess or are convicted of criminal wrongdoing.
Keeping probationers on a short leash is crucial to the criminal justice system, with drug testing, community service hours and counseling often mandated to keep probationers in line.
The disclosure last week that the lack of refrigerators and sufficient personnel at the urinalysis lab operated by the Bexar County Adult Probation Department has compromised 15,000 urine samples taken by probationers is cause for alarm.
The problems surfaced after criminal courts officials gave Probation Deputy Chief Paul Kosierowski permission to destroy 15,000 urine samples taken from probationers for drug testing.
Some samples had been sitting, at room temperature, since January waiting to be tested, staff writer Tom Bower reported. Kosierowski, said the samples are not good after 10 days.
Probation officials said they began having problems with the workload last fall, and the request for urinalysis exceeded the lab's capacity by January.
If that is so, why did it take six months to address the issue and why doesn't the lab have adequate refrigeration space to store samples?
The criminal court judges and county commissioners need to address these issues immediately.
Doing otherwise could undermine the entire criminal justice system in the county and create a series of legal challenges to findings made by the county's urinalysis lab.
(source: Editorial, San Antonio Express-News)