AS PRISON COSTS MOUNT, IDAHO MUST PAY THE PRICE

If putting crooks in prison creates peace of mind, then peace of mind comes
at a price. So far, it's a price that Idaho taxpayers have been willing to pay.

Unlike other states, where violent crime is a daily fact of life, Idaho is
a relatively safe haven. Nasty murders, assaults and other acts of thuggery
are still blessedly rare. When they do occur, citizens are outraged, not
apathetic.

The upshot is that Idaho doesn't take crime -- or criminals -- lightly.
Criminals get sent to prison here. A tough-on-crime attitude, coupled with
stiff sentencing, means that Idaho prisons are filling up.

Yes, there are costs. And yes, they are mounting as more prisoners wind up
behind bars. But so far, the trade-off seems more than worth its costs.

Last week, the state Correction Board was pitching an $85 million plan to
expand the state prison system by nearly 50 percent. That's a lot of money,
especially for a state prison system with an annual tax-supported budget of
$94 million. The proposal seeks to add 2,250 new prison beds over the next
six years; Idaho currently has room for a little more than 5,200 inmates.

A prison expansion of that magnitude is a serious issue. Paying for it
could cost the state about $7.8 million a year for 19 years, and that
doesn't include operating costs. Committing that much money to prisons
would mean less money for other state services.

Debate over the state's spending priorities is healthy debate. Budget
priorities should be discussed vigorously and often.

That's not to say more prisons are the only answer to Idaho's ills. Still,
prisons are where we isolate people who pose a clear threat to civil
society. Some can be rehabilitated, others probably not.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of other people on the road to prison -- but
they haven't arrived, yet. In many cases, they can be redirected with
preventative programs aimed at drug abusers, alcoholics and people in
dysfunctional families. As a general rule, money spent to keep people out
of prison is a better investment than building more prisons.

Striking the right balance between prisons and prevention is a tough job,
but it's a necessary one. There is room in Idaho's budget for both, but
something may have to give if prison spending increases in the years to come.

Law and order do have a price. In Idaho, taxpayers and their elected
representatives have been willing to pay that price. As prison costs mount,
they should re-examine and reaffirm that commitment.