Sunday, August 01, 2010

Dallas News backs closing prisons to save money

A Dallas News editorial yesterday looking forward at specific ways to cut in next year's Texas state budget offered these suggestions for saving money in the justice system:
PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE: $650.6 million
Alcohol and Beverage Commission $9 million 10%
Overseeing prisons and felons $500 million 10%
Repair and construction of prisons $10 million 50%
Parole system $10 million 3%
Central administration $7 million 6%
Commission on Fire Protection $600,000 9%
Juvenile Probation Commission $30 million 10%
Department of Public Safety:
Central administration and support $50 million 26%
Texas Youth Commission $40 million 10% 
Unstated but implied, to reduce costs for "Overseeing prisons and felons" by $500 million would require closing multiple prison units and reducing the total number of people the state incarcerates and employs at its 112 units across the state. Only public education would take a bigger hit, if DMN editorialists got to make the call. (They advise against the cuts to mental health care services recommended recently.) 

At odds with that recommendation, though, are simultaneous recommended cuts to the parole system. A mantra I'll likely be repeating through next session will be that incarceration costs can go down safely if the state maintains or increases incentive-based investments in community supervision. The big fights will be over whether to close units, and then, which ones? That debate's not happening yet in official forums in Austin, at least not publicly, but it's probably just around the bend. 

See related Grits posts:

6 comments:

  1. Wow, talk about a clash coming in Austin. Tough (and stupid) on crime Vs. the reality of having NO MONEY! This will be interesting indeed.

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  2. Disagree. Its past time for the state to cut wasteful agencies such as TDC and TYC, plus many more. There are other ways to spend funds rather than throw it away in these wishful/outdated agencies.

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  3. I generally agree with these recommendations except cutting prison maintenance that deeply. The taxpayers have a huge investment in infrastructure and preventie maintainence is a wise investment. I have personally seen the price of deferred maintanence and it is ungodly. 4 to 5% cuts would be more in line.

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  4. nonymous said...
    I generally agree with these recommendations except cutting prison maintenance that deeply.
    -----------------------------------
    Maintenance in poll barns cannot be that much...seriously...I guess it depends on whether the state moth-balls the prisons or closes them. You can bet Perry would like to sell the land, particularly at Sugarland to his real estate buds. Shady ba$7&rd!

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  5. It's far better to keep the Film Commission and Commission on the Arts than to have public safety or a prison system. Thank goodness someone is finally thinking straight. Shakespeare will save us from a hurricane.

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  6. I am not sure how TYC will endure additional cuts. Amazing.

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