|
|
| WA. State considers Closing Prison |
| By komonews.com |
| Published: 02/03/2010 |
|
NEAR VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Facing a budget deficit of $2.6 billion, the state is considering the closure of several prison facilities in an attempt to cut costs. But prison advocates are urging state officials to consider the impacts prison closures will have. At the Larch Corrections Center, the inmates have stopped arriving. The first wave of employees transferring to other sites will move out in a month, and prisoners will follow. Chuck Cushman has sent out thousands of faxes and e-mails to keep the minimum-security prison open. He's trying to give back for the what the inmates have already given him. It was laboring inmates who, working with a fish recovery group, restored the bank of Mason Creek and kept Cushman's home from sliding in. "I mean, they are a tremendous asset," he said. "And when you have guys trained like that and eager to do it, and eager to do work that others might not want to do, it's really an advantage." And it's work that might not get done otherwise. Like many other organizations, the Washington State School for the Blind has cancelled maintenance projects the inmates were supposed to do. The inmates' labor would have saved the school "That might be summer school for a couple of the kids, or field trips," said Rob Tracey of the school. Compared to hiring private contractors, Larch inmate firefighting crews saved the Department of Natural Resources nearly $200,000 last year. But prison supporters say the inmates are also losing out. "These guys are becoming certified in fire training, which means they transition into a job when they get out of prison, which means they have an extremely low recidivism rate," Cushman said. In addition to Larch Corrections Center, the minimum-security Ahtanum View Corrections Center near Yakima could close, and so could the Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women outside Spokane. Read More. |
Comments:
Login to let us know what you think
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
If you just got hit in a car accident, it can be hard to know who to talk to, if anybody. If you have been in a hit by a drunk driver in waco , then calling Dunnam & Dunnam is the right choice. It is one of the best decisions that you can make for your car wreck case. Choosing a great lawyer is important to the outcome of your matter.