PRISON PROPOSAL WORRIES COUNTIES

Local Budgets Depend On Inmates' Labor, Fees

BURLINGTON - A plan to cut state spending by letting some state prisoners
out of jail early has some county officials worried about their budgets.

As the state faces a $500 million budget deficit, one of the proposals
floated by Gov. Paul Patton is to allow certain state prisoners, including
Class D felons, out of 64 county jails that house them as overflow, and
which get $28 a day for overflow prisoners.

In Northern Kentucky, Boone County officials are concerned that they would
face a significant loss of revenue.

Ed Prindle, Boone County jailer, said it would have a tremendous impact on
the budget.

"We're looking at a loss of about $400,000 in our budget from the per diem
plus the equivalent of about $600,000 in free labor," Prindle said. "We'd
be looking at $1 million loss for Boone County over the course of a year."

The county uses the inmates in a work program that provides free labor,
such as picking up trash and mowing county grass.

Class D felonies include some thefts, some types of drug use and
possession, non-payment of child support and driving under the influence.

Letting prisoners out early is just one of the governor's proposals, which
also include a moratorium on state contracts and a cut in state jobs.

"From what I've seen from the (governor's budget-cutting) proposals to
date, none of it affects Boone County except for the issue about the jail
inmates," said Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore. "The county relies
on the revenue from the state prisoners and federal prisoners to help us
operate our jail in a more economical manner."

Lisa Carnahan, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Corrections, said
nothing has been finalized.

She said there would be no release of sex offenders or of prisoners with
crimes for which state law prohibits early release, such as a fourth DUI.

Greg Buckler, Campbell County jailer, said the proposals would leave
Campbell County minus cash and minus labor.

The county counts on $230,000 a year from the state to house the inmates,
he said.

"We do not house that many Class D's," Buckler said. "It would only affect
about 14 inmates but those 14 inmates are the ones we have working that's
providing free labor to us and other non-profit organizations. We saved
these agencies that we provide free labor for about $50,000 last year."

In addition to financial concerns, county officials are concerned about
public safety and the message releasing prisoners sends.

"I disagree with letting them go wholeheartedly," Buckler said. "They were
punished and given time by the court. They ought to be in jail for the time
the court deemed necessary. What's going to happen if one of these inmates
goes out and commits a serious crime? I don't agree with releasing them to
the streets."

The General Assembly will take up the budget issue in its session in January.

The legislature failed to pass a budget by a June deadline and the state
has been operating on a provisional spending plan since then.