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| OVERCROWDING STRAINS BUDGETS |
| By Sharon Coolidge -enquirer.com |
| Published: 02/16/2009 |
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State Sen. Bill Seitz says sweeping prison reform is the only way to reduce overcrowding and ease strain on Ohio's incarceration budget. The conservative Green Township Republican last week introduced Senate Bill 22, which would allow more minor offenders to be sentenced to community programs, give more good-time credit to inmates, give the parole authority the ability to deal with parole violators and create sentencing alternatives for parents convicted of failing to pay child support. "While it is important that the Legislature continues to pass strong laws to help keep our communities safe, this effort must be balanced with policies that work to responsibly reduce Ohio's prison population and its financial impact on taxpayers across the state," Seitz said. The state prison population was 50,719 on Feb. 9 and could soar to 60,000 by 2018 without reform, experts say. Currently the state's 32 prisons are operating at 132 percent of their designed inmate capacity. The two state prisons in Warren County on Friday were holding inmates at 73 and 76 percent above their designed capacity. The annual cost to house an inmate is $24,875. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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