Pubdate: Tue, 16 Sep 2003
Source: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (MS)
Copyright: 2003 Journal Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.djournal.com/djournal/site/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/823
Author: Bobby Harrison

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FACING EXPECTED SHORTFALL

JACKSON - The Department of Corrections will run out of money to pay for
housing inmates in private and county-owned regional prisons early next year
unless, its commissioner said, the Legislature passes a deficit
appropriation for the agency during the 2004 session.

Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps told members of the Legislative Budget
Committee on Tuesday that his agency faces a $67.5 million deficit.

But unlike other instances in recent years when agency heads have appeared
before the Budget Committee requesting deficit funding, there was no
criticism of Epps by members of the committee.

Sen. Ron Farris, R-Hattiesburg, a member of the committee, said during the
hearing that the deficit request was not a surprise. Legislative leaders
knew the agency was underfunded when the 2003 legislative session ended.

''The bulk of it (deficit) is contractual obligations'' for housing inmates
in private prisons, for housing inmates in county jails and county-owned
prisons and for providing medical service, Farris said.

The Budget Committee is hearing budget requests from agency heads. After
that process is completed later this month, the committee will make a
recommendation that will serve as a blueprint for the 2004 Legislature. The
process is expected to be difficult because it is an election year and
because of a shortfall in tax revenue.

Much of Epps' comments to the Budget Committee members Tuesday centered on
the truth-in-sentencing law passed by the Legislature in 1994. The law
requires all inmates to serve 85 percent of their sentences before being
eligible for parole.

During the year before the truth-in-sentencing law passed, the Department of
Corrections spent $109.6 million with 10,669 inmates in custody.

During the fiscal year that was completed June 30, the state spent $270.5
million on the Corrections budget with 23,474 inmates in custody.

Epps proposed giving certain non-violent offenders, who are not convicted
for drug offenses, the opportunity to have their sentences reduced through
work activity.

''Is it a great surprise that if we pass a law saying keep people in prison
longer, we are going to have to pay for them?' Farris asked.

Epps said he and his staff had worked to reduce the cost of the agency. In
fiscal year 2000, the average cost of housing an inmate was $42.35 per day;
that was reduced to $37.88 per day in fiscal year 2002.

He said the cost when the analysis is completed will be less for fiscal year
2003, which ended June 30, even though a $1.9 million pay raise for agency
employees will be added to the cost.

Epps said that only Alabama has a lower cost per day to house inmates. And
he said Alabama pays counties only $2 per day to house state inmates while
Mississippi pays counties $20 per day to house state inmates.

Overall, Epps requested $289.9 million for the upcoming fiscal year an
increase of about $800,000 over what the agency requested last year.
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