States Release Inmates Early To Cut Prison Costs

[steven johnson]

Crime might not pay but it pays state budgets to let criminals out early.

December 13, 2009

With a sputtering economy and widespread budget crises, many states have decided that reducing their prison populations is a good way to save money.

Illinois is one of the latest examples. Under its new early release program, as many as 1,000 nonviolent offenders will be able to finish their sentences at home or at other locations approved by prison officials.

Like many other states, the Illinois prison population has exploded, doubling since the 1980s to about 45,000, fueled in part by tough drug laws. In addition, more than 30,000 former inmates are currently on parole. Those inmates and parolees cost Illinois taxpayers more than $1 billion per year.

Benos says Illinois will save $5 million by releasing some prisoners early. The inmates will be equipped with monitoring devices and offered support in the form of treatment programs.

States Release Inmates Early To Cut Prison Costs

[wuvuj]

1. Coming crime wave due to expected inflation?

http://www.decisionpoint.com/TAC/MCCLELLAN.html

Coming back to the present, the big drop in the inflation rate during 2009 suggests that the crime rate in 2010 should see a big drop. But if all of the Fed's money printing since the September 2008 Lehman collapse does what I think it will do, we will see a big rise in inflation in the coming months. Then about a year after the inflation rebounds, we should once again see a corresponding rise in the crime rate.

See 1960 thru 1980?