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STATE FACING CRISIS WITH OVERCROWDED PRISONS |
| (02/02/2010) |
| While West Virginia claims to have among the lowest crime rates in America, it has among the largest prison population with the walls bursting for another new facility. State officials say that three new inmates a day entering the state's correctional system has limited choices - build some new prisons or change the way the state thinks about crime and punishment. A new prison would cost up to $200 million to build, according to Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein, and millions more to operate annually. Politicians, long afraid to be "soft on crime," are looking at the alternative sentencing choice. Gov. Joe Manchin says he is willing to risk political backlash to save the state hundreds of millions in the long run and do a better job of rehabilitating prisoners. The state's sentencing laws have focused on locking up non-violent criminals. "For 20 or 30 years, Democrats and Republicans alike have tried to be tougher on crime than the next person," Manchin said. "The attitude was, 'You're giving someone 20 years in prison? Hell, I'll give that person life.'" Several prominent WV politicians have lost elections, being accused of cases where they had been soft on criminals. Manchin said the prison system is designed for 5,000 inmates, but now has 6,300 and counting. Overflow is accommodated by housing prisoners in the regional jails, which themselves are now burdened, and which were not designed as long-term facilities for convicts. Manchin's commission wants to boost funding for work release programs by over $1.2 million, and spend $450,000 to hire 10 new parole officers. Accelerated parole is a way to get nonviolent, low-risk inmates out of the system quickly, leaving room in prison for convicts who pose an immediate threat.
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