Pubdate: Wed, 20 Feb 2002
Source: Birmingham News (AL)
Copyright: 2002 The Birmingham News
Contact:  http://www.al.com/bhamnews/bham.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/45

Jail Deadline

STATE MUST PAY FOR PRISON PROGRAMS TO AFFORD PAYING FINES

Prison crowding is a problem that won't go away in Alabama. It can't, not 
anytime soon at least. There simply are too many prisoners, not enough 
prison space and too little money.

Prison officials find themselves facing another, potentially expensive 
deadline: Remove all state inmates from county jails by April 1 or be hit 
by court fines, possibly $26 a day for each inmate in jail longer than 30 
days. With 320 state prisoners sitting past that limit in county jails 
throughout the state which, by the way, is a big improvement over the 2,000 
this time last year the already money-strapped prison system could be 
forced to pay out $250,000 a month.

Needless to say, the state doesn't have that kind of money to lose. It's a 
perfect example of pay now, or pay more later.

Over the years, the state has negligently underfunded state prisons. So 
much so, that a prison system built to house 10,000 prisoners is crammed 
with more than 26,000 inmates.

The prisons are so full that they cannot take all the newly convicted 
prisoners from county jails. Only a court order, backed up by the threat of 
hefty fines, prompted Gov. Don Siegelman and state prison officials to take 
action last year to relieve the backlog in jails.

Siegelman's plan was aimed at reducing prison crowding, in large part, by 
directing more inmates into drug treatment, community work and other 
alternative programs. That approach makes sense because it frees prison 
space for violent criminals by redirecting some nonviolent criminals.

What's needed even more, though, is a comprehensive review of the state's 
prison and sentencing systems.

Fortunately, that's what the Alabama Sentencing Commission is doing. 
Unfortunately, it hasn't finished its work. Last month, commission members 
asked the state Legislature for another year, more money and more access to 
criminal records to complete its job.

But that doesn't erase the deadline the state is facing. Plus, a bill aimed 
at curbing abuses of the state parole board by mandating that certain 
violent criminals serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before they 
can be paroled would add to the crowding problem.

The short-term solution is for the state to speed up implementing its 
alternative programs. It can do that by making sure the money is there to 
pay for them.

The choice is clear: Pay now or pay more later.
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MAP posted-by: Beth