Prison System Costs Likely to Swell

Mississippi

Prison System Costs Likely to Swell

December 1, 2003

Hattiesburg American

Across the nation, states are reconsidering "tough-on-crime" sentencing guidelines, but Mississippi is adamant about enforcing extended stays for prisoners.

Mississippi's truth-in-sentencing law took effect in 1995, requiring anyone convicted of a crime to serve 85 percent of the sentence before parole consideration. Lawmakers approved the law after the federal government offered money to states that would implement such rules for inmates convicted of murder, manslaughter, rape and other crimes.

In 1996, then-Department of Corrections Commissioner Steve Puckett warned lawmakers that the prison population would grow faster than Mississippi's budget.

A 2001 bill provided some budget relief. It gave parole consideration to some nonviolent, first-time offenders convicted after Jan. 1, 2000, once they served 25 percent of their sentence.

In the meantime, slow revenue growth has led to funding cuts for many state agencies, including prisons.

There are 20,481 inmates in state prisons, and current Commissioner Chris Epps shares Puckett's refrain: The law costs money. Epps said he projects the state's inmate population will grow by 700 in fiscal year 2005, which begins next July, and he says he'll need $294.5 million in state funds to operate.

Epps has proposals for reducing the inmate population, effectively cutting costs, but critics say changes should make Mississippi soft on crime, an image no politician wants.

Lawmakers this year harpooned a proposal that would have reduced prison terms of model prisoners by giving them more days off for days they work.

Budget concerns have motivated dozens of states to reassess stiff sentencing guidelines, including Alabama, Nevada, South Carolina and Maine, according to the Vera Institute of Justice in New York City.

Washington, one of the first states to adopt stronger sentencing laws, altered them this year. Joseph Lehman, secretary of the Washington State Department of Corrections, said the new laws include one that shortens sentences for drug offenders and provides funds for drug treatment at the local level and another that allows some nonviolent, non-sex offenders to get out of prison early.

Lehman said research showed the focus should be on high-risk offenders, so a third law was passed that canceled parole supervision for low-risk offenders after their release.

The changes will save an estimated $43 million the first two years, Lehman said.

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