BUDGET WOES OPEN PRISON DOORS FOR SOME

Nearly 300 Prisoners Will Be Released In Washington State Today, Including
25 From The Penitentiary Here

OLYMPIA - About 280 convicts throughout the state are getting an early
release from prison this week, due to the state's budget woes.

The Legislature and Gov. Gary Locke approved early release for certain
nonviolent offenders in an attempt to fill a $2.6 billion budget hole
without raising taxes.

The first group, including 25 from the Washington State Penitentiary in
Walla Walla, was set for early release today. Few, if any, will remain in
the Walla Walla area, according to Penitentiary spokeswoman Lori Scamahorn.

Scamahorn said she believes the Walla Walla facility had the lowest early
release rate of any of the 15 major institutions in the state. Many of the
most violent criminals are incarcerated at the Penitentiary, so most of the
2,079 inmates there are not eligible for the early release program.

Granting more ``time off for good behavior' to nonviolent offenders is
expected to save the state $40 million over the next two years. One year of
prison costs an average of $23,725 in Washington state.

But some critics say releasing petty criminals early just shifts the
problem to local communities' budgets and back yards. What the state calls
``low-risk' doesn't necessarily mean a low risk for committing more crimes,
said Tom McBride, executive secretary of the Washington Association of
Prosecuting Attorneys, which opposed the measure.

McBride said people sentenced to prison for property crimes or small-time
drug offenses generally have a history of prior convictions - and those, he
said, are the people most likely to re-offend.

But Elizabeth Shay, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections'
Southwest Region, said corrections officials carefully reviewed the early
releases.

The prisoners being released early from prison today were convicted of
crimes including possession of stolen property, burglary, hit-and-run,
identity theft and bail jumping. But the vast majority were imprisoned for
drug crimes.

The new law that enables their early release allows certain nonviolent
offenders to lop off half of their sentences for ``good behavior,' up from
a third of their sentences.

People who were convicted of violent crimes, dealing drugs to minors, sex
offenses and residential burglaries are not eligible under the new early
release law.

Also, people convicted of manufacturing or dealing methamphetamine aren't
eligible. However, many less serious meth-related offenses show up on the
list of early releases, such as meth possession or unlawful possession of
ephedrine with the intent to manufacture meth.

Corrections spokesman Veltry Johnson said corrections officials strictly
followed the new law in determining who was eligible for early release.