Everyone involved in the Yavapai County, Ariz. criminal justice system agrees that overcrowding is a problem at both the Prescott and Camp Verde jails.

Where the views start to differ is on how to take care of it.

The issue once again has taken center stage with the filing last Tuesday of a petition by Yavapai County Public Defender Dan DeRienzo calling for the immediate release of nearly 600 inmates from the two county jails.

The petition names Yavapai County Sheriff G.C. "Buck" Buchanan and Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk as respondents, and claims that, because of overcrowding, the civil rights of inmates are being violated on numerous fronts.

"My goal is not to release murderers and rapists out on the street. That's not my goal. That's not what I'm looking for. ... Let's find the 289 most dangerous people who need to be in jail, and let's find alternatives for all the others," said DeRienzo.

The petition comes on the heels of a riot at the Camp Verde jail earlier this month involving nearly 180 inmates.

According to DeRienzo, that uprising is part of a continuing pattern of dangerous behavior that allegedly includes rampant abuse of inmates by fellow inmates, improper medical care for those who are injured, and the lack of meeting space for attorneys to confer with their clients.

From DeRienzo's viewpoint, the best way to solve the alleged problems - and avoid additional legal repercussions down the line - is to bring them to the forefront immediately.

 "What would be costly is if someone got hurt and then filed a real civil lawsuit. That would hurt the county. We're going to our local judges and saying, 'Let's solve the problem here.'"

The way Buchanan and Polk see it, the solution to the problem of overcrowding lies just three months away with the planned opening of the new 650-bed jail in Camp Verde.

As for the petition that currently sits before them, both labeled the allegations "baseless," while Buchanan called it a blatant attempt by DeRienzo to create publicity for himself.

Polk said the petition does nothing to resolve what she sees as the real reason behind the overcrowding issue.

As for the legal merits of the petition, she added: "There are some serious legal deficiencies to what the public defender has filed, but we'll address those in our response."

That response will likely come to fruition Monday, which also is when the petition might go before a judge.