States may free inmates to save millions

Damn...it's happening sooner than I expected. Oh well...I'm not going

to say I told you so but I will say...Good Luck. This is only the

beginning. Thanks to the miserable failure of government schools and

our soaring dropout rate, soon gang memberships will explode.

So for all the greedy slobs who have run the country down to fatten

their own wallets and bank accounts, let's do the right thing. Let's

outsource more high paying jobs. Why pay engineers, accountants, IT

workers, medical professionals, etc...the big bucks in this country

when you get get them for a song in the far east or to the south of

our border...we need to get our tax base even lower!! Hell yea!!! We

can't have America's working and middle classes earn a living wage so

they can be more self reliant and pay their own fair share of the

taxes. Nah...that is downright silly!!

In the meantime, if an early released murderer happens to invade your

home, rapes and kills your wife an/or daughters, and steals some of

your valuables...who knows...maybe you can sell photos and a story to

Startling Detective or similar rag for a nice piece of change so you

can recover some of your loses. Think of it as a "wash sale".

The true American dream is not owning your own home because...you

never never really do. However, the real American dream is being at

liberty to run your personal finances in the exact same manner as our

government and getting all the perks along the way!

States may free inmates to save millions By RAY HENRY, Associated

Press Writer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Lawmakers from California to Kentucky are trying to

save money with a drastic and potentially dangerous budget-cutting

proposal: releasing tens of thousands of convicts from prison,

including drug addicts, thieves and even violent criminals.

Officials acknowledge that the idea carries risks, but they say they

have no choice because of huge budget gaps brought on by the slumping

economy.

"If we don't find a way to better manage the population at the state

prison, we will be forced to spend money to expand the state's prison

system -- money we don't have," said Jeff Neal, a spokesman for Rhode

Island Gov. Don Carcieri.

At least eight states are considering freeing inmates or sending some

convicts to rehabilitation programs instead of prison, according to an

Associated Press analysis of legislative proposals. If adopted, the

early release programs could save an estimated $450 million in

California and Kentucky alone.

A Rhode Island proposal would allow inmates to deduct up to 12 days

from their sentence for every month they follow rules and work in

prison. Even some violent offenders would be eligible but not those

serving life sentences.

A plan in Mississippi would offer early parole for people convicted of

selling marijuana or prescription drugs. New Jersey, South Carolina

and Vermont are considering funneling drug-addicted offenders into

treatment, which is cheaper than prison.

The prospect of financial savings offers little comfort to Tori-Lynn

Heaton, a police officer in a suburb of Providence whose ex-husband

went to prison for beating her. He has already finished his prison

term, but would have been eligible for early release under the current

proposal.

"You're talking about victim safety. You're talking about community

member safety," she said. "You can't balance the budget on the backs

of victims of crimes."

But prisons "are one of the most expensive parts of the criminal-

justice system," said Alison Lawrence, who studies corrections policy

for the National Conference of State Legislatures. "That's where they

look to first to cut down some of those costs."

Rhode Island Corrections Director A.T. Wall was not sure how many

prisoners could be freed early. The payoff for doing so may be

relatively small: less than $1 million for the first fiscal year,

although that figure would increase over time.

In California, where lawmakers have taken steps to cut a $16 billion

budget deficit in half by summer, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed

saving $400 million by releasing more than 22,000 inmates who had less

than 20 months remaining on their sentences. Violent and sex offenders

would not be eligible.

Laying off prison guards and making it more difficult to send parole

violators back to state prison would account for part of the savings.

Law enforcement officials and Republican lawmakers immediately

criticized Schwarzenegger's proposal, which would apply to car

thieves, forgers, drunken drivers and some drug dealers. Some would

never serve prison time because the standard sentence for those crimes

is 20 months or less.

"To open the prison door and release prisoners back into communities

is merely placing a state burden onto local governments and will

ultimately jeopardize safety in communities," said Fresno Police Chief

Jerry Dyer, who could see 1,800 inmates released in his area.

In Kentucky, which faces a $1.3 billion deficit, lawmakers approved

legislation Wednesday to grant early release to some prisoners.

Initial estimates were that the plan could affect as many as 2,000

inmates and save nearly $50 million.

If the governor signs the bill, the exact number of prisoners would be

determined by prison officials. Violent convicts and sexual offenders

would be exempt.

Gov. Steve Beshear has said Kentucky must review its policies after

the state's inmate population jumped 12 percent last year -- the

largest increase in the nation.

Kentucky spends more than $18,600 to house one inmate for a year, or

roughly $51 a day. In California, each inmate costs an average of

$46,104 to incarcerate.

The prison budget in Mississippi has nearly tripled since stricter

sentencing laws took effect in 1994.

To curb spending, lawmakers have offered a bill to make about 7,000

drug offenders in prison eligible for parole. A second proposal would

allow the parole board to release inmates convicted of selling

marijuana and prescription drugs after serving just a quarter of their

sentences. Currently, they must serve 85 percent of their terms before

release.

Michigan is trying to speed up the parole process for about 3,500

inmates who were convicted of nonviolent, nonsexual offenses, or who

are seriously ill.

Barbara Sampson, chairwoman of the Michigan Parole Board, said early

release often makes sense, especially for low-risk offenders who get

help rebuilding their lives.

"Getting that prisoner back to the community so that he can stay

connected to his family, getting him back into the work force ...

that's a positive thing," she said.

But not everyone is sold on the idea.

"Economics cannot be the engine that drives the train of public

safety," said Terrence Jungel, executive director of the Michigan

Sheriffs' Association. "Government has no greater responsibility than

the protection of its citizens."

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