BUDGET CUTTERS EYE SHORT TIME FOR DRUG CRIMES

OLYMPIA - Washington state prison officials, responding to a request by Gov.
Gary Locke to identify possible budget cuts, say shorter sentences for some
drug offenders could save taxpayers $26 million during the next two years.

The proposal is part of an effort by state agencies to identify possible
cuts to help resolve an upcoming budget shortfall. The state is facing
expenses that exceed the voter-approved spending cap by at least $1.1
billion.

Locke must submit his budget proposal to the Legislature in two weeks.

Under the proposal sent to him by the Corrections Department, drug offenders
already in custody could have their sentences shortened, freeing up 525 to
700 prison beds.

Another option is to reduce prison terms for nonviolent drug users convicted
in the future for possessing or selling drugs, Margaret Vonheeder, deputy
secretary for administration for the Department of Corrections, said
Wednesday.

``You'd be looking at people who pose the lowest risk to public safety,''
Vonheeder said. ``We've talked about a lot of different sentencing
changes.''