STATE MULLS PRIVATE ALTERNATIVE TO PUBLIC PRISONS

Privatizing prisons may be "on the table" - as new Senate President
Mike Haridopolus has said - but state leaders would be wise to avoid
rushing to fast-track it.

Privatization fits in nicely with Gov.-elect Rick Scott's plans to
slash almost half of the state's $2.4 billion prison budget. The $1
billion cut in penal costs is part of Scott's efforts to make up the
estimated $2.4 billion state budget shortfall Scott will inherit when
he is sworn in as governor in January.

Florida's crime rate as decreased over the past decade, and that's
good news. Except that, during that same time, the state's
incarceration rate increased dramatically, thanks to tougher
sentencing enacted to keep inmates behind bars longer.

Higher incarceration rates usually mean higher costs to operate
prisons, which prompted some state leaders to begin mulling the
private-prison alternative. It's not a new concept. Florida already
lists six privately run prisons, with another 2,000-plus-bed facility
opening in 2011.

If tougher policies keep violent criminals locked up, it's a price
Florida must pay, of course. But there's evidence, too, that many
being locked up for longer periods of time are those with non-violent,
more minor drug offenses that might better be dealt with in other ways
than prison cells.

Plus, questionable data and a cumbersome monitoring system by three
state agencies have raised legitimate doubts about the belief that
privatized correctional facilities cost less to operate or are more
effective at curbing recidivism than publicly managed prisons.

Unfortunately, that's not slowing down state leaders who view private
prisons as a panacea. After all, prisons in many parts of the state
are economic engines that provide jobs and contribute to local tax
bases, particularly in rural counties in North and Central Florida.

Facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall, state leaders are
correct to consider trimming penal costs, but not by a quick
substitution of a private facility whose profit margins depend on high
incarceration rates and taxpayer subsidies. State taxpayers would be
better served if their leaders examined incarceration rate data to
determine if the legal system can save money by tweaking current
sentencing guidelines and release laws and evaluating decisions by
courts and parole boards to see if all this leads to imprisoning
non-violent offenders who could repay their debt to society in a more
cost-effective way.

The state may well find it can save money by reducing the time and
resources spent on housing minor offenders.

BOTTOM LINE: There are better options than relying on private prisons.