Tarheel prison units closed with budget cuts, Michigan may expand good time

I've been paying attention to what other states have been doing to reduce corrections costs and noticed this item out of North Carolina describing how, on April 1, the Tarheel State completed the process of closing seven adult prisons:

Today’s closure of McCain Correctional Hospital in Hoke County marks the end of eight months of work to close seven prisons and convert several others as ordered by the legislature in the 2009-10 budget.

The seven prison closings and changes at nine others eliminated 516 positions for a $22.3 million annual savings.

The N.C. Department of Correction was able to place 417 employees into other vacant positions within the agency and 73 employees left the agency after receiving severance. Approximately 2,000 inmates transferred to other prisons as part of the process. ...

Two other prisons merged into larger neighboring prisons. Anson Correctional Center became a minimum-security unit of Brown Creek Correctional Institution and Rowan Correctional Center similarly became a part of Piedmont Correctional Institution.

Meanwhile, Michigan is looking for more cuts to its prison budget after closing units and reducing the inmate population by 7% last year. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has suggested releasing up to 7,500 additional inmates by expanding access to good time credits.