Pubdate: Sun, 25 Oct 2009
Source: Courier-Journal, The (Louisville, KY)
Copyright: 2009 The Courier-Journal
Contact:  http://www.courier-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/97
Note: Only publishes local LTEs

VIOLENCE ON THE RISE IN INDIANA PRISONS

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana's prisons are experiencing an increase in
inmate assaults and attacks on staff -- a trend the state's prison
chief blames largely on overcrowding caused by inadequate funding for
new beds.

In the first half of 2009, Indiana's prisons had 514 inmate-on-inmate
attacks, 62 of which caused serious injuries. That compares with 719
such attacks, 101 with serious injuries, during all of 2008, The
Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne reported on Sunday.

Edwin Buss, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction, said
the shortage of bed space in parts of some state prisons has created a
volatile situation.

"Every murderer or armed robber sentenced today has no bed waiting for
them," he said. "It hasn't had a traumatic effect yet, but I liken
prison overcrowding to playing Russian roulette."

Indiana is housing 27,300 inmates, a number that grows between 1,000
and 1,200 every year.

Each month, about 100 new prisoners enter the prison network, whether
there is room for them or not. Buss said the agency has not received
funding for new beds or additional guards in years, pushing inmates,
correctional officers and the public into potential danger.

Some areas of the prison system have more available beds than others,
such as those for juveniles and women.

But Buss said the department is struggling with the number of beds for
adult males, and at any given time in an adult male facility the ratio
of inmates to staff could be 100 to 1.

He said Indiana now has no open maximum-security or
high-medium-security beds for adult male offenders. That means violent
offenders are being bunked in lower-security dormitory spaces and
bunks are being moved closer to fit more in, adding to the potential
for violence.

"It's never been safe. It's a violent society in there," said Rep.
Vernon Smith, D-Gary.

Statistics for the first six months in 2009 show serious-injury
assaults between inmates are on pace to rise 23 percent this year, if
the trend continues.

Non-serious-injury assaults are likely to be up 46 percent for the
full year, based on the first six months.

The number of assaults on prison staff has not risen as much as
inmate-on-inmate violence. While serious-injury assaults are on track
to drop, non-serious-injury assaults are expected to be up 15 percent.

Buss sought two prison expansions during last year's contentious
budget session. But while Democrats pushed capital construction for
colleges and universities as a way to create jobs, they staked out a
position against prison construction, and Gov. Mitch Daniels
eventually dropped the request.

Buss said 6,000 offenders come in every year with sentences of six
months or less, many for drug possession, fraud, forgery and other
nonviolent offenses.

He encourages lawmakers to re-evaluate sentencing options for these
crimes.

State Sen. Brent Steele, R-Bedford, is filing a bill for the 2010
legislative session that would allow nonviolent offenders who have
served at least half their sentence to post a bond to be released from
prison early.

The percentage of the sentence that must be served is flexible, he
said. But an important part of the program would be having a family
member also sign the bond and take a role in the offender's behavior
on release.

"It's like early parole," Steele said. "But with a financial stake."
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