NEW LAW GIVES PRISONS SENSIBLE OUT

At a time when state lawmakers are combating massive budget deficits,
state Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, found a way to squeeze savings and
inmates out of Florida's rapidly expanding prison system.

The measure, approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Charlie
Crist, gives corrections officials the option of sending prisoners to
other states. The law takes effect July 1.

With the number of state inmates topping a record 100,000 - about
6,000 less than current capacity - and money lacking for new prisons,
state officials have to consider all options short of the early
release of inmates.

Under Crist's scenario, Florida would transfer prisoners to states
that have a surplus of beds. They would be compensated, of course.
But Florida would be spared the cost of building more prisons.

Taxpayers shouldn't care where inmates serve their time as long as
they are behind bars.

It's expensive to build prisons and house inmates. A 1,300-bed prison
costs about $100 million to build today. Housing an average inmate
costs more than $19,000 a year, according to the state Department of
Corrections. As Sen. Crist, who chairs the Criminal and Civil Justice
Appropriations Committee, told the Tribune's Catherine Dolinski, DOC
accounts for 75 percent of the criminal justice budget.

DOC Secretary Walt McNeil isn't keen on turning to other states,
arguing that shipping inmates out of state "undermines the goal of
reducing recidivism." While that certainly is a desired goal, the
recession and tough state budget times require officials to pursue
viable cost-savings options, especially when it comes to ensuring
that residents are safe.

And it's important to stress the Legislature isn't mandating that
inmates be exported. It's simply an option.

If an inmate from Florida has to be shipped to another state to serve
out a term, so be it. That's the price an inmate may have to pay for
breaking the law. The law would mainly target inmates who don't have
community ties or relatives in Florida, which makes sense. It
requires DOC to weigh the proximity of the prisoner's family to the
out-of-state facility.

That Florida may have to rely on out-of-state prison does raise the
question of whether the state sentencing policies need review.

Nobody wants to see violent offenders go free. Indeed, Florida
suffered a bloody crime spree in the 1990s, when convicts were
released after serving but a fraction of their sentences.
Tough-on-crime measures were subsequently passed that helped
dramatically reduce the crime rate.

Yet today's sentencing polices may put drug and other nonviolent
offenders in the slammer for many years.

The issue for both taxpayers and lawmakers is: Should more money be
allocated to build yet more prisons to house the burgeoning inmate
population, which could reach nearly 105,000 by next summer? Or
should more resources be spent on drug rehabilitation programs and
other services that could reduce the prison population and recidivism rates?

It does appear that many more people are being sent to prison these
days than in the past, but the increase in Florida's overall
population could be responsible.

State leaders need to have a thoughtful dialogue about whether
alternatives to prison for certain offenses might be more effective
and economical.

Meanwhile, Florida should not hesitate to ship prisoners to other
states if that enables it to avoid prison construction costs without
releasing miscreants before their time is served.