STATE HOPES NEW PRISONS, EARLY RELEASE CUT CROWDING

HARRISBURG -- A steady rise in the number of inmates and the political
risks of paroling prisoners early are complicating the state's efforts
to ease crowded conditions in its prisons.

The 27 existing lockups now hold nearly 47,000 inmates, which is up
from a population of just over 36,000 in 1998. The number of inmates
is now 8 percent over the current capacity of 43,300.

And the tide keeps on rising. State Corrections Secretary Jeffrey
Beard estimates that the overall prison population could top 57,000 by
the end of 2012. Legislators' desire to be "tough on crime" and the
public's fear of rising drug-related crimes have led to longer and
more mandatory sentences.

Correctional costs, at $1.6 billion for 2008-09, are the third biggest
item in the $28 billion state budget, after education and welfare costs.

Progress to ease the crowded cells is going slowly. The Department of
Corrections wants to build three new state prisons, each costing $200
million and holding 2,000 inmates. But the first of the three new
prisons won't be open before mid-to late 2011.

The state Legislature has enacted a new law, one advocated by House
Speaker Dennis O'Brien, R-Philadelphia. It's aimed at making more
nonviolent prisoners eligible for early release. They would have to
complete programs to ease their transition back into society, such as
anger management and overcoming drug use, before being paroled.

By paroling more appropriate prisoners, officials believe they can
moderate the rising tab for prison construction and operational costs,
and thus ease the financial strain on state taxpayers.

But giving parole to the wrong inmate -- one who later commits another
crime -- can spell political disaster. It happened in September, when
an inmate released early from the State Correctional Institution
Frackville shot and killed a Philadelphia police officer just a month
after getting out of prison. The parolee had been jailed for a 1998
robbery and aggravated assault.

Gov. Ed Rendell, a former mayor of Philadelphia, found himself under
pressure from police unions and citizens groups, and imposed a
temporary moratorium on all parolees, nonviolent as well as violent.

The moratorium was lifted last week for nonviolent prisoners, whom Mr.
Rendell defines as prisoners "with no history of a violent offense."

The corrections department and the Board of Probation and Parole will
decide if an inmate qualifies as nonviolent and thus can be let out of
prison early.

But deciding if an inmate is truly nonviolent can be tricky, said
Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo. Sometimes an inmate is jailed for a
nonviolent offense, such as drug buying or selling, burglary or other
crimes against property, but more serious charges had been dismissed
or plea-bargained away.

Violent crimes include things like murder, assault, robbery and rape.
State parole and prisons officials will take an inmate's complete
history into account before allowing him to be released on parole, Mr.
Ardo said.

Mr. Rendell named a Temple University official, John S. Goldkamp, to
study whether nonviolent inmates could be safely paroled. He
recommended last week that parole "be restarted for nonviolent
offenders [only]."

Mr. Rendell said, "The moratorium on paroles for all violent offenders
remains in effect."

Prisons spokeswoman Susan McNaughton said a thorough review will be
made of all inmates considered nonviolent, but she couldn't say how
many of them would eventually be eligible for paroles or when the
paroles would start.

As for the three new prisons, the first will go on the grounds of the
existing SCI Rockview in Centre County. A construction manager and an
architect will soon be chosen by of the state Department of General
Services. A ground-breaking is expected in 2009 and the project would
take about two years to complete.

"Rockview was selected because there is plenty of state-owned land
there to build upon and the new prison can share functions, such as
warehouses and a business office, with the prison that's already
there," said Ms. McNaughton.

A second new prison is to be built somewhere in Fayette County, which
already has one. Corrections officials are now scouting several other
sites in Fayette County for the second prison, with a decision
expected by next spring.

There are several counties where the third new prison could be built,
including two sites in Schuylkill and one each in Northumberland,
Huntingdon and Luzerne. Another possibility is on the grounds of
Graterford state prison outside Philadelphia.

Mr. O'Brien this fall pushed for House Bill 4, which is designed to
help nonviolent inmates turn their lives around while behind bars and
qualify for early release. A judge would outline the incentive program
to a convict at his post-trial sentencing.

"The incentives would encourage nonviolent inmates to follow a path
that gives them a much better chance at re-entering society without
committing new crimes," Mr. O'Brien said.

Such programs would include recovery from drug and alcohol abuse or
addiction; literacy and high school diploma equivalency courses; job
training; and anger management.

The program for inmates "will enhance public safety and provide large
financial benefits to governments and taxpayers," Mr. O'Brien said.