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Texas programs cut down prison costs
Escorted by a prison guard, female detainees walk inside Port Isabel detention facility in Texas.
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TEXT OF STORY
Steve Chiotakis: As states struggle to cut their budgets, one place to look is prisons. It's expensive to lock people up -- about $80 a day per prisoner. But politicians can end up paying a dear political price for letting prisoners out. So it's interesting that one of the places that's had the most success stabilizing their prison population is Texas, a state with a reputation for having some of the toughest penalties in the country. From Austin, Michael May reports.
Michael May: Over the past 30 years, Texas' prison population has grown about eight times faster than its population -- there are more than 150,000 people in Texas prisons today. Two years ago, the Legislature's Budget Board released a projection that Texas would need to house 17,000 more prisoners by 2012. Republican Representative Jerry Madden is chairman of the House Committee on Corrections.
Jerry Madden: That's very expensive. A new prison holds 2,000-2,500, and runs $250-300 million to build, and another $40-50 million to run and man.
Here's the math. The state would need to spend $2 billion building prisons, plus $300 million more a year to run them. So in 2007, the legislature overwhelmingly passed a series of reforms aimed at keeping people from rotating in and out of prisons. Madden says they are smart without being soft.
Madden: It was definitely tough, we put people with drug problems in treatment, which is much tougher than spending a short time in state jails and going out without treatment. We haven't made it easy in our prisons, or reduced anything, other than putting programs out there that may change lives.
The state invested in drug courts and programs for the mentally ill. Judges were given the flexibility to punish probation violators with community service instead of jail time. Scott Henson is a longtime criminal justice advocate in Texas. He says lawmakers should focus on probation, because it costs less.
Scott Henson: And with a lot more bang for the buck. Because their rehabilitation occurs in the community, when it's done, they're already there. There's isn't the re-entry barrier to get back over.
But Henson says there has been a barrier keeping other states from following Texas' example. He says rehabilitation programs often get caught up in political squabbles.
Henson: Most of these issues are not very partisan when you get down to it. There's a lot more common ground then the partisan game playing would have you believe.
And here in Texas, the change in incarceration policy has had an economic return -- the state won't need to build another prison until 2013.
In Austin, I'm Michael May for Marketplace.
I agree with Jason and Angie. If you have been in the system for several years and have show improvement as they explained then you shouldn't be overlooked for parole. Some of those guys deserve to have a second chance at life. Most of the ones whom are trying hard to do good in there have a child or wife at home that need them more than the state of Texas does. My fiance is in prison in Texas he hasn't come up for parole yet he has three more years, but I do hope that we aren't waiting too much after that for his homecoming. He is a GOOD MAN and a Very GOOD FATHER. He has missed out on alot already with his children.In some states they only have to serve one fourth of their sentence before getting out on parole.
I totally agree with Jason. My husband has been in prison since 2000 and his sentence was 15 years. He has a perfect record since he's been in prison. He has perfect conduct and no cases, yet they have denied him 2 times already. However on a regular basis they release sex offenders and murders for doing less time then he has. I strongly believe we still have a long way to go when it comes to how our prisons are run and who we let decide the fate of these men. I feel like the people on the parole boards have way too much power. Instead of looking at their prison records, they are punishing them over and over again by denying parole to those who have worked hard to deserve it.
I was just released from prison here in Texas 3 weeks ago after serving 7 years on an 8 year non-aggravated,non-violent,non-sex case. I was finally granted parole on my 8th time up. I did not have a disciplinary record, any gang affiliations, or any prior charges. Year after year i watched as predators were released to prey on the public and those likely to succeed in the free world were denied parole repeatedly. Recidivism is good for business in the Texas prison system and that's why year after year the high risk offenders are released. Good men are being held in prison simply because they are just that...GOOD MEN.
My son is in prison for revoking probation from 1999 and then a thing accused him of assalting her (she assalted him w/a bat) but because she was an ex-policeman's widow (she pulled the plug on him about 3 months before she started going after my son.)He plea bargained. He has cancer (a thymoma)that is sitting next to his heart but since he's in there, they are gonna have to provide him with all his medical that he needs for this disease.
