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| Alternative sentencing slows prison cost |
| By dailylocal.com - CALEB TAYLOR, PA Independent |
| Published: 08/01/2011 |
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Two alternative sentencing programs are decreasing state prison costs and population, but restricted access to the programs is limiting further savings, some officials say. "Alternative sentencing cuts a lot of government waste in the Department of Corrections by reducing recidivism and prison terms for nonviolent offenders, but they are underutilized because district attorneys have veto power (over who enters the programs) and eligibility requirements are very stringent," said state Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. From 1980 to 2010, the state Department of Corrections budget increased by more than 1,700 percent, from $94 million to $1.7 billion. During that period, the prison population swelled from 8,243 inmates to 51,321 inmates, forcing the state to seek alternatives to sending criminals to prison. According to the most recent monthly inmate population report in June, the department has a bed capacity of 44,196 for an inmate population of 51,290, forcing prisons to use temporary buildings to house inmates. In the recently passed state budget, the Department of Corrections accounted for 7.4 percent, or $1.89 billion, of the general fund. That's the third largest chunk behind allocations for education and for public welfare. Two alternative sentencing programs — State Intermediate Punishment and the Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive — were passed into law in 2005 and 2008, respectively. Both have saved taxpayers $43 million since their inceptions, according to the Department of Corrections, but some officials say these programs would be more effective if more eligible inmates could participate. Read More. |
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