Pubdate: Sat, 14 Feb 2009
Source: Burlington Times-News (NC)
Copyright: 2009 Freedom Communications, Inc.
Contact: http://www.thetimesnews.com/sections/contactus/letter.php
Website: http://www.thetimesnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1822
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

NON-VIOLENT PRISONERS ARE A DRAIN ON THE STATE'S BUDGET

If lawmakers are looking for ways to save a lot of money in tight 
budget times, then they might want to consider a change in how the 
state punishes nonviolent offenders.

North Carolina could save hundreds of millions of dollars if it would 
just stop jailing nonviolent offenders. According to the Department 
of Correction Web site, the state's prisons housed 40,161 inmates as 
of Feb. 13. The average annual cost per inmate ranges from $22,218 to 
$32,547, depending on whether a minimum amount of supervision is 
required or whether correction officials need to watch their every move.

A statistical analysis of people in custody as of Dec. 31, 2008, 
shows that there were 13,231 inmates for the following nonviolent 
offenses: larceny, forgery, worthless checks, other property crimes, 
non-trafficking drug offenses, driving while impaired, other traffic 
violations, habitual felons and other public order charges.

Releasing those 13,231 nonviolent offenders would save the state's 
taxpayers almost $294 million a year.

Notice that the estimate does not include violent criminals such as 
murderers, rapists, kidnappers or robbers. Nor does it include the 
release of those serving time for drug trafficking.

Estimates suggest that at its current rate, the state will need space 
for nearly 50,000 inmates a decade from now. That means North 
Carolina would not only have to find money to build the prisons, but 
would also have to set aside hundreds of millions more every year to 
house them.

The state is currently facing a recession-induced budget gap hovering 
around $2 billion. If lawmakers were to take a serious look at 
changing the sentencing laws so that nonviolent offenders are not 
housed in the state's prison system, they could remove a significant 
part of that budget deficit.

In addition they would avoid having to build expensive new prison 
cells and would save hundreds of millions of dollars in future operating costs.

It seems like the fiscally responsible way to go.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom