Pubdate: Tue, 30 Apr 2002
Source: American Press (LA)
Copyright: 2002 Shearman Corporation
Contact:  http://www.americanpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/926
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

EFFORT TO CUT PRISON SPENDING NEEDS SCRUTINY

A move by the state Legislature last year to reduce the annual cost of 
prisons in Louisiana is stirring controversy.

Act 403 established three risk review panels to examine nonviolent inmate 
applications, gauge the inmates' risk to the public if they were released 
from prison early and make recommendations to the state Pardon and Parole 
boards.

In April, the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended approval for 10 of 14 
applications for immediate parole eligibility. All 10 inmates who received 
positive recommendations are serving time on possesion and/or distribution 
of cocaine convictions.

The recommendations for parole eligibility were forwarded to Gov. Mike 
Foster for his approval. If approved, they then go to the Parole Board for 
a hearing.

However, the recommendation came in the face of opposition from district 
attorneys, law enforcement officials and victim-rights organizations.

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Doug Moreau said that sooner or later, a 
felon released through Act 403 is going to run afoul of the law. He said 
that the act relieves individuals from responsibility if something goes wrong.

He said that inmates have already been through the judicial system and 
sentenced by a judge who considered their crimes and their criminal 
history. He also said that because of plea bargains, many of the inmates 
are already serving time on lesser charges.

"You have to work very, very hard these days to get in jail," Moreau said.

James Sandifer, president of Common Sense Against Crime, opposed the 14 
applications before the Pardon Board and objected to the leniency in each case.

"This is a new risk review panel. What you have from the risk review is 
their opinion, but what you have before you is fact," Sandifer said about 
the criminal history the Pardon Board is given for the hearings. "I think 
the risk review panel needs to review more closely the clients they send 
over here. They sent over nothing but reoffenders."

Department of Public Safetys and Correction Secretary Richard Stadler said 
the panel reviews criminal histories, court records and other documents to 
decide if an applicant is a good risk for release. The panel considers 
criminal history, but it also looks at the age of the crimes. If a person 
has nine arrests in the 1970s, but a clean record recently, the panel will 
look at that differently than a person who had more recent arrests, Stadler 
said.

Kathy Gess, a co-director of a national organization that works for 
criminal justice reform in fair treatment for inmates and their families, 
said that panel members go through the entire file before talking to 
prisoners. She said that panel members then ask prisoners about their 
crimes, what they've done to improve themselves, such as drug treatment, 
anger management, education or job training courses and their plans if they 
are released.

She said that in comparison, the Pardon Board only focuses on arrest 
records and law enforcement opposition.

While the Legislature's efforts to reduce the cost of the state's prison 
system are laudable, it comes with risks. The new review system deserves a 
chance to succeed, but it also deserves close scrutiny and a short life 
span should benefactors of the early release wind up back in the criminal 
justice system.
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