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| AZ DOC facing 11-percent cuts in CO's |
| By Luige del Puerto, Arizona Capitol Times |
| Published: 02/17/2009 |
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The Appropriations chairmen’s list of options to bridge next year’s budget gap includes a $130-million hit to the Department of Corrections, one of the state’s largest agencies. And among the options being considered is increasing the inmate-to-officer ratio, a savings of about $25 million to the state. But that would mean the department would have to shed more than 600 correctional officers out of its 5,694 positions, a nearly 11-percent reduction in the correctional officer workforce. All but 21 of the correctional officer positions are filled. The state’s inmate population is nearly 40,000. Most of the inmates are in state prisons, while 4,300 are in private prisons in Arizona and another 4,200 are in out-of-state prisons. “I can’t overemphasize the issue of public safety and staff safety and inmate safety,” DOC interim Director Charles Ryan told senators during a hearing on Feb. 9. Ryan appealed to lawmakers to “look at how we actually have to staff and manage these facilities.” Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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