SHAKING THIS HABIT WILL BE TOUGH

No more prisons, declares Gov. Tommy Thompson. And it is an admirable vow.
But to shake its addiction to prison construction, the state needs the
full, 12-step program, not just a vow.

Above all, the state needs courage and foresight on the part of politicians
- -- qualities in too short a supply to date when it has come to prisons.

With the nation's fastest-growing inmate rolls, Wisconsin is hooked bad on
prison building. The habit's expense is what's getting to the governor. His
budget calls for spending by the Department of Corrections to jump by $228
million during the next two years.

Drunks not uncommonly vow that their present alcoholic binge is their last,
a promise that gets little credence. How much credence should go to
Thompson's vow that the present prison-building binge is the state's last?

Don't get us wrong. We are by no means impugning the governor's motives.
His vow, we know, is sincere. In fact, it is courageous. But it'll take a
concerted effort by many players to keep that vow.

For one thing, as Thompson himself noted in last week's conversation with
the Journal Sentinel Editorial Board, lawmakers must go along. The ranks of
prisoners mushroomed mainly because of the legislative penchant for
stiffening the criminal code. To be seen as tough on crime is a surefire
way to win votes; opponents of a stiffer penalty risk being portrayed as
soft on crime -- a surefire way to lose votes.

To put some discipline into the process, lawmakers ought to adopt a
procedure whereby any proposed changes in the criminal code carry a
prison-impact statement. If the number of inmates is expected to rise, the
legislation should authorize funds to pay for the increase. Putting a price
tag on a bill to harden a criminal penalty should prove sobering.

Another crucial player, as the governor also noted, is a state task force
that's taking a look at criminal penalties, in light of the
truth-in-sentencing law enacted last session. The task force must aim at
setting penalties at a level the state can realistically support. Then the
Legislature must enact the committee's recommendations.

A third set of players who must keep their heads is local politicians,
including Mayor John Norquist. Thompson is wisely recommending strategies
to cut down on repeat offenders, including the construction of two 150-bed
workhouses, from which prisoners near the end of their term would report to
real jobs with real pay, part of which would go back to the state for room
and board.

One of those workhouses should be in or near the city of Milwaukee, whence
many inmates hail. But Norquist has in the past passionately opposed some
correctional facilities within the city's borders. Set up properly,
however, a workhouse should enhance the city by cutting down on crime.

In all, kicking the prison-building habit will require unusual foresight
and courage among many players.