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| New Prison on List of Proposed Reforms |
| By statejournal.com |
| Published: 07/09/2009 |
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New Prison on List of Proposed Corrections System Reforms July 9, 2009 West Virginia officials are tying to find an answer to the space shortage in jails and prisons. By Walt Williams CHARLESTON -- With the state's incarcerated population growing in a trend that shows no sign of reversing, a special committee has recommended the state build a new 1,200-cell prison before its run out of cell space. The new prison was just one of 14 recommendations submitted June 30 by the Governor's Commission on Prison Overcrowding to Gov. Joe Manchin. However, it is one of the most visible and potentially more expensive recommendations, with cost estimates for a new prison ranging from $100 million to $200 million. Manchin formed the commission at the beginning of the year to come up with recommendations he could take to state lawmakers to relieve growing population pressures in the state's prisons and regional jails. There were roughly 6,000 incarcerated in the state's correctional system in 2007. That number is expected to grow to more than 10,000 if no changes take place. State Secretary of Military Affairs and Public Safety James Spears chaired the committee, which included representatives from the court system, government, law enforcement and West Virginia Council of Churches. While lawmakers could act on any one of the 14 recommendations, Spears said they were meant to be implemented as a whole. "It was not put so any one could be extracted or any group be extracted and then provide a solution," he said. The commission's recommendations don't focus on just how to house inmates. Instead, most look at how to keep people from serving unnecessary jail time in the first place. One major initiative would be to expand treatment programs for offenders with substance-abuse problems given that drug abuse often contributes to their crimes. Still the commission saw "disastrous consequences" for the state if it does not take steps to house the growing number of inmates. "Overcrowding is one of the key factors in disturbances inside jails and correctional facilities," the commission wrote in its report. "The overflow valve for our state prisons, the regional jail system, has become filled beyond its intended capacities." It recommended building a 1,200-cell, medium-security prison in the near future to relieve population pressures in the state's regional jail. A location for the jail would be determined later. In addition, the commission also recommended adding 300 beds to St. Marys Correctional Center in St. Marys and adding four 80-bed work release centers for low-security inmates preparing to return to community life. Read More. |
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