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| Kentucky to Release 567 Inmates Early |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 12/18/2002 |
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The state plans to release 567 felons from jail before their sentences have been served to help balance a teetering state budget, the governor said Monday. Gov. Paul Patton acknowledged the early release carries some dangers and will prompt objections from many, but said he must do what it takes to make up a $6 million deficit in the Corrections Department budget and much larger deficits across state government. 'It's not going to be pretty no matter how we do it,' Patton said during a news conference. The inmates will be released starting at noon Wednesday and again next week, an average of 80 days before their sentences have been served. The actual number may vary, depending on whether some have been given early release by judges or other factors. The bulk of the inmates are now lodged in county jails, with 102 to be released from state prisons and another eight from halfway houses. Deputy Justice Secretary Barbara Jones said the inmates were chosen for their short sentences and nonviolent crimes. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that officials expect at least a third of the inmates to return with new convictions. If that happens, they will also have to serve out the remainder of their current sentences. The state pays jails $28.76 a day to house its inmates. Patton said the prison population has exploded and there are hundreds more inmates in county jails than the budget predicted. The state inmate population in local jails will be kept at 3,736, which will likely mean new rounds of inmate releases each month as more felons are convicted and sent to serve their sentences, the governor said. Patton said the state contracts with private prisons are being renegotiated to reduce costs. |
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