EFFORT TO CUT PRISON SPENDING NEEDS SCRUTINY

A move by the state Legislature last year to reduce the annual cost of
prisons in Louisiana is stirring controversy.

Act 403 established three risk review panels to examine nonviolent inmate
applications, gauge the inmates' risk to the public if they were released
from prison early and make recommendations to the state Pardon and Parole
boards.

In April, the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended approval for 10 of 14
applications for immediate parole eligibility. All 10 inmates who received
positive recommendations are serving time on possesion and/or distribution
of cocaine convictions.

The recommendations for parole eligibility were forwarded to Gov. Mike
Foster for his approval. If approved, they then go to the Parole Board for
a hearing.

However, the recommendation came in the face of opposition from district
attorneys, law enforcement officials and victim-rights organizations.

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Doug Moreau said that sooner or later, a
felon released through Act 403 is going to run afoul of the law. He said
that the act relieves individuals from responsibility if something goes wrong.

He said that inmates have already been through the judicial system and
sentenced by a judge who considered their crimes and their criminal
history. He also said that because of plea bargains, many of the inmates
are already serving time on lesser charges.

"You have to work very, very hard these days to get in jail," Moreau said.

James Sandifer, president of Common Sense Against Crime, opposed the 14
applications before the Pardon Board and objected to the leniency in each case.

"This is a new risk review panel. What you have from the risk review is
their opinion, but what you have before you is fact," Sandifer said about
the criminal history the Pardon Board is given for the hearings. "I think
the risk review panel needs to review more closely the clients they send
over here. They sent over nothing but reoffenders."

Department of Public Safetys and Correction Secretary Richard Stadler said
the panel reviews criminal histories, court records and other documents to
decide if an applicant is a good risk for release. The panel considers
criminal history, but it also looks at the age of the crimes. If a person
has nine arrests in the 1970s, but a clean record recently, the panel will
look at that differently than a person who had more recent arrests, Stadler
said.

Kathy Gess, a co-director of a national organization that works for
criminal justice reform in fair treatment for inmates and their families,
said that panel members go through the entire file before talking to
prisoners. She said that panel members then ask prisoners about their
crimes, what they've done to improve themselves, such as drug treatment,
anger management, education or job training courses and their plans if they
are released.

She said that in comparison, the Pardon Board only focuses on arrest
records and law enforcement opposition.

While the Legislature's efforts to reduce the cost of the state's prison
system are laudable, it comes with risks. The new review system deserves a
chance to succeed, but it also deserves close scrutiny and a short life
span should benefactors of the early release wind up back in the criminal
justice system.