Pubdate: Sat, 02 Feb 2002 Source: Charleston Daily Mail (WV) Copyright: 2002 Charleston Daily Mail Contact: http://www.dailymail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/76 Author: Sam Tranum, Daily Mail Capitol reporter PRISON OPTIONS WEIGHED Chief Says New Beds Not Only Way To Solve Problem The state cannot and should not build the 2,200 prison beds it is projected to need by the end of the decade, Public Safety Secretary Joe Martin said. "You and I both know we can't afford to build 2,200 beds," he told members of the House Judiciary Committee on Friday. Instead, Martin said the state should take a diversified approach to solving the state's prison overcrowding problem. He recommended building some additional beds, updating the state's sentencing structure and further developing programs like alternative sentencing and community corrections. The state has about 3,300 inmates, according to Gov. Bob Wise's budget. In December, the Division of Corrections was over-capacity by 257 inmates and had an additional 629 inmates in jails around the state, according to a report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor. The state had about 670 inmates awaiting transfer from jails to prisons at the end of January, Martin said Friday. "The problem has not gone away," he said. Regional and county jails are not intended for long-term incarceration, he said. They don't offer the necessary recreation, education or rehabilitation opportunities. The current problem is bad enough, Martin said, but it's on track to get worse. "In short order, we'll begin to hit a very serious overcrowding problem," he said. The solution, he said, includes programs like alternative sentencing and like the community corrections program in the Northern Panhandle. But it could also include some changes to the state's sentencing structure. Delegate John Pino, D-Fayette, said he had heard that West Virginia's sentences were out of line with sentences handed down by judges in surrounding states. In some ways that's true, Martin said, noting that there are some "glaring" differences. Martin recommended that the Legislature take a look at the sentencing structure to make sure that West Virginia's guidelines fit with the times and the attitudes of its citizens. He declined to offer a specific example of a crime with sentencing guidelines that might need to be changed. Delegate Bill Stemple, D-Calhoun, pointed out that the state had another prison population problem besides the overly large number of inmates -- the low number of prison guards. The December report from the Legislative Auditor's Office said the Division of Corrections had 26 percent -- or 260 -- fewer officers than it needed, according to a National Institute of Corrections study. Division of Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstien said recruiting efforts were helping to solve the problem. He said Friday the division had 94 vacancies, of which 48 were corrections officers. The division has 1,568 total positions this fiscal year, according to Wise's budget. Corrections officers leave division facilities for higher salaries in surrounding states and in federal prisons in-state, Martin said. "Our prison system has become a training ground," he said. Rubenstein has said it costs the state $5,000 to hire, train and outfit a corrections officer. Martin praised Rubenstein's recruitment efforts. He said that salary increases and improvements in working conditions would also likely be needed to solve the prison guard shortage. Under Wise's proposed budget, the division would get 190 new positions to staff Lakin and St. Mary's correctional facilities. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D