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| Miss. Bills May Reduce Prison Problems |
| By Jackson Clarion Ledger |
| Published: 03/05/2003 |
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Mississippi has saved $11.6 million since July 1, 2001, from a 1 1/2-year-old law that reduces mandatory prison sentences from 85 percent of the original sentence to 25 percent for certain nonviolent offenders. Now key legislative leaders are citing the low recidivism among those released under the law - 56 of 885 inmates - in seeking more legislation to lower the inmate population and trim the Mississippi Department of Corrections' budget. MDOC's budget is approaching $300 million. House Penitentiary Committee Chairman Bennett Malone, D-Carthage, said a projected state budget shortfall of $400 million in 2004 means legislators need to consider proposals such as his House Bills 487 and 403 to avoid a tax increase. 'We don't have enough money to house the number of inmates we have,' Malone said. The state inmate population is 19,800. 'The only way to get a handle on it is to lower the number of offenders in prison.' House Bill 487 would allow trusties to receive 30 days of trusty time, rather than 10, for each 30 days served, leading to quicker release. House Bill 403 would remove the 180-day cap from meritorious earned time inmates can accumulate for earlier release. Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said passage of the two bills could save as much as $18 million. Epps has also told legislators that Mississippi leads the nation with 49.34 percent of its offenders in prison rather than on probation and parole, more than twice the national incarceration average of 23.16 percent. 'If we lowered our prison population, we could reduce our staffing, which is your greatest cost,' Epps said. But crime victim James C. Yeatts Jr. of Biloxi opposes shorter sentences for car thieves, even though the person who stole his car from a Biloxi shopping center parking lot in April 1999 was never apprehended. 'No way in hell,' said Yeatts, a retired Air Force captain. 'A hundred or 150 years ago, these people would have been caught and hung. 'That is what is wrong now. People don't think there are consequences to what they do.' The 13 released under the law who stole cars, however, are far fewer than the 159 released who were serving time for possession of a controlled substance, 137 for cocaine possession, 100 for felony DUI, 74 for marijuana possession, 54 for delivery of a controlled substance, 55 for grand larceny and 50 for burglary of a non-residence. Malone said many voters may not be aware that MDOC's budget has increased from $203 million in 1998 to $282 million with a $32 million deficit request in 2003. So, lawmakers may be hesitant to vote for shorter prison stays during an election year, he concedes. But 'if we don't do something, we will be coming back here one day passing a tax increase for more prisons,' Malone said. 'We are not at the point like some states which are wholesale releasing prisoners because of a lack of space. 'It is our job to keep that from happening.' MDOC projects that by 2012 the 2003 inmate population of 20,227 will rise above MDOC capacity to 23,594. Epps said the $296 million budget for 2004, which begins July 1, will rise if populations continue to increase despite cost-cutting measures that range from installing a double perimeter fence at the State Penitentiary at Parchman to eliminating guard towers and personnel and renegotiating for lower medical costs. 'I guarantee you it will be above $300 million when we make our (fiscal year 2005) budget request next fall,' Epps said. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Charlie Capps, D-Cleveland, said he's in favor of plans to lower MDOC's costs. 'We just can't afford to keep that many inmates in prison,' Capps said. 'I plan to meet with (Malone) on his bills.' But Rankin County Sheriff Ken Dickerson said he is not sure enough time or cost analysis has been done on the law that reduced mandatory sentences for nonviolent offenders or on Malone's bills. 'There needs to be a study done on what it costs to have these people out of jail committing crimes,' Dickerson said. 'We tend to see a lot of these nonviolent types back pretty quick for crimes like burglary and drugs.' Epps responds by pointing to the 6.3 percent overall recidivism rate among the 885 released. Flowood Police Chief Johnny DeWitt said he doesn't like dealing with percentages. 'I say let the court sentence them and let them serve whatever that is,' DeWitt said. 'Why get into reducing sentences?' Malone said one reason is the lack of uniform sentencing guidelines in the state, which has a negative impact on first-time offenders, such as those eligible for release under the 2001 law. 'One person may get two years in one county, but another 10 for the same offense somewhere else,' Malone said. 'A first-time offender is not doing any good spending that much time in jail because it's tougher for them to return to a job and society.' Malone said MDOC is working to start a program to put inmates to work in poultry plants in Leake and Scott counties, which could significantly reduce corrections costs if successful. 'The poultry industry needs dependable workers and ours would be at work every day,' Malone said. Inmate wages would go to MDOC to pay for their transportation, housing and medical costs with the remainder going to any existing family. 'It would teach them work ethic, while helping the families and the Department of Human Services,' said Malone, noting the money to families would lower demands on DHS for assistance. 'They could continue to work at the same job after their release. 'These are the kind of things we have to do to get this thing turned around and get a handle on the corrections budget.' |
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