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Decision on prisoner releases rests with Legislature, prisons chief says |
By Levi Pulkkinen |
Published: 04/03/2009 |
Responding to competing budget proposals from the House and Senate, Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail said Wednesday that either proposal would likely lead to the release of hundreds of prisoners. Earlier this week, leaders with the corrections officers' union objected to the Senate proposal that they argue would see as many as 1,900 prisoners receive early release from prison during the next two years. Proposed cuts from both houses would also curtail programs designed to prepare inmates for release from prison. Vail said he will continue to push for Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposal, which would include larger cuts to community supervision of offenders but preserve prison bed space. "When we worked on crafting the governor's budget, we worked with prosecutors and police and we came up with what we thought presented the lowest threat to public safety," said Vail, arguing for cuts also supported by the state associations representing prosecutors and police. The Department of Corrections estimates that the House proposal would see 1,200 to 1,300 inmates released early. The Senate budget would see 1,800 to 1,900 receive early release, though Vail conceded that the department is "guestimating a bit" because both proposals include changes in sentencing that have not yet been approved by the Legislature. According to budget documents, the Senate proposal would see about 107 positions cut during the coming two years, leaving the department roughly 662 workers short of the staffing level needed to support current service levels. Suggested cuts would still see spending at the department increase by $31 million from 2009 to 2011. While overall spending would increase under the proposal, the Senate plan would eliminate $124 million in expected expenses, either through spending cuts or by obtaining other funding sources. A House budget proposal released Tuesday contained similar cuts in state spending but preserved current staffing levels by in part by directing $182 million in federal grant money to the department. Unlike their Senate counterparts, authors of the House budget don't order the closure of McNeil Island Corrections Center. Vail said he would prefer the Legislature settle on a budget that doesn't dictate which facilities should remain in operation. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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