PRISONS

How about logic-in-sentencing?

The Legislature has gone home without dealing with Mississippi's
prison problems, ditching last-minute efforts to change the law
requiring that offenders serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bennie Turner, D-West Point,
refused to bring up a House-passed measure that would have allowed
non-violent offenders to reduce their sentences by working.

The 85 percent rule, also known as the "truth-in-sentencing" law, was
adopted in 1995 with much state support, including this newspaper. It
was intended to meet new federal requirements and to answer the
growing frustration of citizens over burgeoning crime.

Instead of applying the rule just to violent criminals, however, the
Legislature went a step further and also applied it to non-violent
offenders.

The result has been an explosion in the state's prison population, now
at 19,000 prisoners, and a corresponding explosion in the prison
budget, up from $45 million to $245 million in six years.

Although the change would have been a reasonable approach, lawmakers
feared the accusation of being "soft on crime." Just the opposite. The
change would make for a more efficient and more effective corrections
system.

Truth-in-sentencing may be a nice political phrase, but
logic-in-sentencing makes more sense for fighting crime and creating a
workable corrections system.

In rejecting the change, lawmakers have sentenced taxpayers to higher
prison costs, possible lawsuits and a criminal justice system that
increasingly doesn't work.

And this. . . .

Speaking of 'soft on crime'

The "soft-on-crime" award this week can go to Hinds County Judge
Houston J. Patton, who finds no problem in reducing bonds on suspected
serious offenders.

Johnny Bernard Gaines, 19, of 3117 Sears St., was booked Monday on
possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute within
1,500 feet of a school.

Based on normal bond schedule, arresting deputies put his bond at
$100,000, a reasonable amount for someone arrested on drug charges
near a school.

Without Gaines making even an initial appearance in court, however,
Patton signed an order reducing the bond to $10,000. Gaines, of
course, is back on the streets.

Patton says he doesn't remember many details of the case. That's a
short memory for something that occurred this week. Strangely, neither
Gaines' attorney nor a prosecuting attorney signed the bail reduction
order. Patton says he doesn't know why the order was not signed by an
attorney or prosecutor.

Patton says "apparently" a defense attorney presented him the case for
bond reduction and "apparently" he granted it because the suspect had
no prior record.

Apparently, Patton doesn't take into account the seriousness of a drug
arrest near a school.

Apparently, he has little regard for law enforcement officers' effort
in this case if he reduces a suspect's bond before a hearing is even
held.

The only thing that is apparent here is a judge who treated a bond
matter cavalierly. Actions such as these are what make citizens
cynical about the criminal justice system.