Morning Roundup: Shouldn't you be in jail, too? edition

Happy bissextile day, Houston. If you're reading this from jail — we're actually not even sure if you can use the Internet in jail — well, don't feel alone: According to a new report from the Pew Center on the States, 1 of every 100 American adults are behind bars today. Good lord. The good news: Texas is one of the states that has tried to slow the growth of its inmate population through community supervision of low-risk offenders and alternative punishments for some former prisoners who violate parole and probation rules. Inmate populations increased in 36 states and the federal prison system last year, the report says.

>> Setback for Ashby high rise?: Mayor Bill White said this week that the 23-story residential tower proposed for the corner of Bissonnet and Ashby wouldn't be approved as planned under the city's new traffic impact rules — rules that are actually a clarification of a 1940 law dealing with the connections of driveways to public streets. Officials are using the clarification while they take six months of public comment on a controversial draft development ordinance. "They are continuing along the same lines as the high-density ordinance, but this has the additional advantage of not having to pass City Council," Chris Amandes, co-chair of the Stop Ashby High-Rise Task Force, told the Chronicle. The proposed Ashby development, which would overlook Broadacres, Southampton and Boulevard Oaks, has drawn fire from area residents because of its height and potential traffic impact on Bissonnet, which is two lanes (and already busy) as it runs past the site. The project developers, Matthew Morgan and Kevin Kirton, didn't respond to the Chron's calls yesterday.

>> River Oaks surprise: A woman on a morning walk Thursday in the 3800 block of Del Monte Drive was beaten, abducted and stuffed in the trunk of a car — and police hope that a cell phone they found at the scene will lead them to the perps. It happened at 7 a.m., when the woman said that two men pulled up in a car, hit her over the head with a stick and forced her into the car's trunk. They apparently didn't realize that the trunk had an emergency release; fortunately, the woman did, and she used it to escape. "They didn't know who they were messing with," the woman's husband told KTRK. "She got away and thank God for that." KHOU reports that police found a cell phone at the scene and are trying to figure out whether it belonged to the suspects. In the meantime, anyone with information on the incident should call HPD at 713.222.3131.

>> This weekend's weather: Two things to remember about this weekend: It'll be kind of warm and potentially sorta rainy. Another thing to remember: You won't care because you'll still be feeling the, um, afterglow Houstonist Light Rail Pub Crawl. Today, look for an afternoon high in the mid-70s; tonight, crawlin' weather will be a low in the upper 50s with a very slight chance of showers. That tiny chance of rain will linger through the weekend, with more highs around 75 and lows near 60.

>> In brief: Astros may reconsider Clemens' contract ... McCain in Houston: No new taxes ... Mayor Bill: I ain't endorsing nobody ... Metro ends free paper transfers today ... TSU named Homeland Security partner