RELEASE NON-VIOLENT INMATES?

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 approvel, 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 imrpove 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.