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| Let's Close A Prison |
| By courant.com |
| Published: 11/30/2009 |
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From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, Connecticut went on a jail-building spree, spending more than $1 billion on new or expanded prisons. This get-tough-on-crime campaign probably improved public safety to some degree, but at a staggering cost. The Department of Correction now has nearly 7,000 employees and an annual operating budget of about $700 million. In the early part of this decade, leaders such as state Rep. Robert Farr and Department of Correction Commissioner Theresa C. Lantz urged more of a get-smart-on-crime approach. They initiated a number of innovative programs that have significantly reduced the state's prison population. It's time the taxpayers got a benefit from their work. According to Correction Department figures, the state's inmate population is about 18,600, down from a high of nearly 19,900 in February 2008. Citing this decline, Gov. M. Jodi Rell asked the department several weeks ago to consider closing a prison. The department's recommendation is expected today. We will be disappointed if the department doesn't recommend closing one of the state's 18 prisons, or at least closing buildings on a prison campus. Ms. Lantz has estimated that closing a prison could save the state $9 million to $15 million a year, depending on the security level of the prison. Read More. |
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