Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 18, 1993 TAG: 9402180004
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICHARD E. SORENSEN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When presidents of Virginia's public universities expressed dismay at such a prospect - particularly in light of the significant cutbacks that have already occurred in higher education funding and the increasing numbers of students seeking admission - Gov. Douglas Wilder issued a challenge to the presidents: Suggest ways that the state government could be more effective in controlling costs in other areas. I was surprised at the governor's challenge, in view of the availability of information that suggests ways to significantly reduce costs in at least one of the other areas - Virginia's criminal-justice system and prisons.
House Joint Resolution No. 402, which was approved in the 1989 legislative session and signed by Gov. Gerald Baliles, created a Commission on Prison and Jail Overcrowding which was to report to the governor and General Assembly no later than Dec. 1, 1989.
I served as a member of that commission along with a number of current House and Senate members. It was chaired by Jack Ferguson, who was then the recently retired chief executive officer of Virginia Power. An ex-officio member was J.T. Shropshire, at that time chairman of the State Compensation Board, and Gov. Wilder's chief of staff for the past four years.
The 55-member commission reported to Gov. Baliles citing 55 separate recommendations, many of which involved low-cost alternatives. These low-cost alternatives have yet to be implemented. The report's conclusion states:
"It now costs more to imprison a felon for four years than it costs to provide tuition, room and board for a student to acquire a four-year undergraduate degree, a master's degree and a doctorate at any of the state's finest colleges or universities. There exists a broad range of opportunities to impact on the serious problem of prison and jail overcrowding. Some alternatives can have a major impact by themselves - changes in sentencing, for example - while others may have only a modest effect. Some are extremely expensive while others will cost little.
"There is no single alternative that will serve as a panacea to overcrowding. Instead, a combination of the preceding alternatives must be thoughtfully selected and carefully implemented. A variety of changes, at all phases of the judicial/correctional process, must be used in concert to reduce system inflows, reduce time spent in the system, increase system outflows and reduce recidivism, while preserving public safety.
"A rational approach is to continue to incarcerate the hard-core, dangerous criminal while allowing some other offenders to remain in a community environment under controlled supervision and in corrective programs. This approach presents the more cost-effective option of reducing the bed-space shortfall. It must be noted, though, that no system, however well-designed, is perfect.
"A primary issue repeatedly raised before the commission was whether the commonwealth can build itself out of prison and jail overcrowding. The community, the public, will ultimately decide whether to involve itself in the issues of cost and cost-avoidance. What the commission offers in this report is a rational perspective regarding the issues of risk and cost, recommendations which may alleviate costs without significantly increasing the risk to the community, and recommendations which will move the system toward operating as a true system."
It is not too late for state officials to consider the commission's recommendations.
\ Richard E. Sorensen is dean of the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech.
by CNB