NON-VIOLENT PRISONERS ARE A DRAIN ON THE STATE'S BUDGET

If lawmakers are looking for ways to save a lot of money in tight
budget times, then they might want to consider a change in how the
state punishes nonviolent offenders.

North Carolina could save hundreds of millions of dollars if it would
just stop jailing nonviolent offenders. According to the Department
of Correction Web site, the state's prisons housed 40,161 inmates as
of Feb. 13. The average annual cost per inmate ranges from $22,218 to
$32,547, depending on whether a minimum amount of supervision is
required or whether correction officials need to watch their every move.

A statistical analysis of people in custody as of Dec. 31, 2008,
shows that there were 13,231 inmates for the following nonviolent
offenses: larceny, forgery, worthless checks, other property crimes,
non-trafficking drug offenses, driving while impaired, other traffic
violations, habitual felons and other public order charges.

Releasing those 13,231 nonviolent offenders would save the state's
taxpayers almost $294 million a year.

Notice that the estimate does not include violent criminals such as
murderers, rapists, kidnappers or robbers. Nor does it include the
release of those serving time for drug trafficking.

Estimates suggest that at its current rate, the state will need space
for nearly 50,000 inmates a decade from now. That means North
Carolina would not only have to find money to build the prisons, but
would also have to set aside hundreds of millions more every year to
house them.

The state is currently facing a recession-induced budget gap hovering
around $2 billion. If lawmakers were to take a serious look at
changing the sentencing laws so that nonviolent offenders are not
housed in the state's prison system, they could remove a significant
part of that budget deficit.

In addition they would avoid having to build expensive new prison
cells and would save hundreds of millions of dollars in future operating costs.

It seems like the fiscally responsible way to go.