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| N.H. Gov. Would Chop Prison Rehab Programs, Staff |
| By Concord Monitor |
| Published: 03/31/2003 |
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New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson's proposed budget would reduce the staff looking after state inmates and shrink funding for education and rehabilitation, despite a growing number of residents behind bars. It could also increase crowding at the Concord prison. The most dramatic part of Benson's plan for the Department of Corrections involves shutting down the women's prison in Goffstown and transferring those inmates to Laconia. The women would displace 200 men, who would be sent to Berlin and Concord, where inmates already live in close quarters. The program cuts and closing the Goffstown prison are part of Benson's proposal to fill a $230 million budget hole without raising taxes. 'Just like other state agencies, we are responding to the overall revenue situation within the state,' said Corrections Commissioner Phil Stanley. 'And you know, it requires us to tighten out belts and that's what we're doing.' Stanley believes he can relieve the crowding by releasing up to 100 inmates from all three prisons with ankle bracelets, a home-confinement system the state now uses with four prisoners. But even he acknowledges that, at the current rate of incarceration, plans for expanding the Berlin prison are not far off. Some of the corrections proposals, such as getting rid of a quasi-boot camp program called First Step and hiring a person to track how often prisoners return once they are released, have been well-received. And the Laconia prison would provide more space for women prisoners, giving them better access to programs. But, overall, critics say the proposed 3-percent budget cut is short-sighted, a quick way to cut the bottom line that does not prepare for the future. In the long run, they say, the way to save money is to invest in programs that provide drug and alcohol treatment, teach inmates marketable skills and prepare them to lead productive lives. In addition, they don't think the Laconia facility is secure enough for the Goffstown women, and they worry about crowding in Concord. 'This is all being done without an impact study,' said Gary Smith, a corrections officer at the Concord prison who leads the corrections workers chapter of the State Employees Association. 'If they want to see a decrease in how many prisons we have, they need to see a decrease in how many offenders we have. That's going to take some long-term planning and thought. This here is rash.' The governor's budget calls for closing the Goffstown facility, eliminating a college-level education program called Transformations and cutting by $350,000 the amount the department spends on food by switching to 'blind feeding' - a system that prevents inmates serving meals from seeing the inmates they serve, thereby assuring they don't give extra food to their friends. In addition to the 46 staff cuts that will come from Goffstown, 62 staff position would be cut from the state's three other prisons. Those jobs would include corrections officers, teachers and social workers. The plan must be approved by the Legislature. |
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