From NBC17 By Chris Cowperthwaite
NBC17
One of the departments hardest hit by Gov. Perdue’s budget cuts will be the state prison system.
Department of Correction officials say the budget will cost them 500 jobs over the next two years and force them to close seven prisons.
The closings will certainly have an effect on some small towns like Butner.
The word “prison” usually conjures images of stark walls and rows of razor wire, but Butner’s minimum security prison isn’t quite as foreboding.
In fact, the idea of losing the Umstead Correctional Center doesn’t sit well with a lot of people in town.
“We’re accustomed to the facility,” said Mayor Tom Lane. “It’s been a part of the community and we have real concerns.”
Umstead houses more than 100 inmates, and employs 45 people.
Next year, though, the governor plans to shut it down, along with six other facilities around North Carolina.
“It means a loss of some jobs. People that we know as Butner citizens,” said Lane. “People that we want to be a part of their life and they’re part of ours.”
“We will be able to replace, we hope, most of those folks in vacancies at other prisons,” said Keith Acree, a spokesperson for the Department of Corrections. “We can’t guarantee that we can do that for everyone, but we’re certainly going to make that effort.”
The goal is to reduce the department’s budget by about $68 million, and consolidating everything will mean that inmates in Butner and other places will have to be transferred elsewhere.
“We have to double-cell inmates in certain locations,” said Acree. “So there’s quite a bit of work we have to do in terms of population management to make this all work.”
Acree says 500 jobs sounds like a lot, but he also points out that the prison system employs more than 20,000 people statewide.
The budget wasn’t all bad news for the Department of Correction.
In addition to the cuts, there are also some budget increases.
Those include $12 million for the probation system, which will help hire 117 new officers, 29 new supervisors and increase pay for current officers.
March 18th, 2009 at 9:02 am
HR 1475 Federal Prison Work Incentive Act (Good Time) Minimally saves $2 billion annually BOP is nearing 40% over capacity Incentive for inmate positive/appropriate behavior Prison overcrowding is dangerous for inmates and BOP staff. Increased good time will save the US taxpayers a minimum of $2 billion per year by taking offenders out of the prison system earlier. Good Time reduces inmate populations considerably. Currently, the BOP is approaching 40% over capacity. Today there are over 203,000 inmates in the federal system Good Time rewards those inmates who have shown positive behavior. Although early release would not be guaranteed, it would allow a 2nd chance to those who prove they are deserving of another chance. The cost to house an inmate for 12 months is conservatively $40,000. Costs nearly double for inmates with medical issues and costs rise significantly for all inmates over age 60. Inmates do not receive the same health care and lengthy non-parolable sentences cause medical emergencies for those in facilities and huge indigent health care costs upon release. The BOP would need to hire over 13,000 staff members to meet the inmate to staff ratio of 10 years ago. Building additional bed space in prisons will not resolve the systemic issues of the prison system. The BOP is going to triple bunking because of lack of bed space, which heightens tensions and makes it more dangerous for both staff and inmates. Lengthy sentences have an inordinate impact on inmates’ families, particularly children who are forced
March 18th, 2009 at 9:05 am
of 2009 which would amend title 18, United States Code, to restore the former system of good time allowances toward service of Federal prison terms, and for other purposes.
The current prison system is obviously ineffective. It is also a burden to taxpayers who are footing the bill for more prisons. The “cuff em and stuff em” attitude is not working. There are many alternatives to prison which would be at the inmates expense
March 18th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Dear Mr
I am asking you to please cosponsor the H.R.1475 ~ Federal Prison Work Incentive Act of 2009 which would amend title 18, United States Code, to restore the former system of good time allowances toward service of Federal prison terms, and for other purposes.
The current prison system is obviously ineffective. It is also a burden to taxpayers who are footing the bill for more prisons. The “cuff em and stuff em” attitude is not working. There are many alternatives to prison which would be at the inmates expense Such as home confinemet, fines, community service, and military service.
Our economic crisis is due in part to the state of our judicial system where so many first time non violent offenders are given Draconian sentences and no means to redeem themselves. Once in the prison system, they have no reason to desire rehabilitation or work towards early release.
I hope you will shed the “tough on crime” stance and look from a different point of view at alternative solutions to the crime problems plaguing America today. Longer prison sentences are not effective. There needs to be more educational programs in place for inmates. This alone would reduce the amount of inmates who recommit crimes. These inmates are released back into society with no means of getting jobs, housing, and other common living needs. They have no education. Thus they resume the life they lived before they were incarcerated.
Americans want to see results, not stiffer sentences. We can change the way the judicial system enforces punishment and how inmates serve their time in a way that would benefit both the inmate and society. The Federal Prison Work Incentive Act of 2009 would address some of these problems by giving inmates a reason to do good and work hard toward early release.
Since inmates “earned” the right to be in prison. Why can’t they also “earn” the right to be out? These are not just criminals. They are husbands, wives, children, brothers, and sisters. They are someones family. I have visited prison many times and it breaks my heart to see children in there visiting their Dad or Mom. I see inmates cry because they made a mistake and now have no way to redeem themselves. I see children cry because they must leave without their parent. It’s sad.
I also would ask that you take another hard look at Federal Parole and support its return. These things would greatly contribute to the healing of our economy and the healing of our nation. America has been called “The land of second chances” but in reality we have become the most imprisoned country in the world. I won’t quote a bunch of statistics but here’s one that says a lot: there are over 203,000 federal inmates incarcerated today,AT A COST OF 40,000.00 DOLLARS PER INMATE and the majority of these are first time non violent offenders. Enough said.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
1. A H
March 27th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
HR 1475 The Good Time Bill is long over due.
Something needs to change in our federal prison system. T
he overcrowding,the LONG sentences, the lack of programs the enormous cost to tax payers.
What incentive or hope do these nonviolent inmates have with no chance of parole ?
Has anyone in Congress noticed whats going on in our prison system?
The sentences that the non violent,lowlevel federal inmates are receiving are excessive.
WE NEED CHANGE and we need people to speak out and take action
April 3rd, 2009 at 8:54 pm
My husband was sentenced to 12 yrs for a no violent crime. Since he has been gone our family has lost alot. Not only have we lost him we have lost our home and my daughter has lost her childhood.I understand that people should be punished for what they do however to allow families to be torn apart for a lengthy time is unjust. I truely believe that we should allow the laws to change. It obvious that that the tougher sentences are not working an being in prison there is no type of benefit to move forward. I agree that federal parole would not only benefit the inmate but also people like us tax payers that ultimately have to pay for it all
April 15th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Hey, nice tips. I’ll buy a bottle of beer to the man from that chat who told me to go to your site :)
May 13th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
This is so unreal, conspiracy , ( That’s all i hear ) Conspiracy means that some one in trouble to get them self out of trouble tells on some one eles. nothing found. no dates of the crime. just a person in trouble tells on you and that person walks ” free” no kingpins in fed prison. just most are non- violent offender with no monry and are small time offenders ( not that any crime is right ) and we need to pay if we brake the law. But come on 20+ yrs on Conspiracy
yes the word COMSPIRACY is all you hear in the fed Prison. and no good time off.
does it make you think that it’s more that meets the eye here ? ( could this be a money making thing ? )i’ll stop here ! ” read and find out for your self.
God we need your help ” lets see with over 200,000 inmates, 140 o/o over full prisons if we will see any good time off in this prison I do hope so, I do hope I am wrong.. But we have not seen any ( or little change in 30 yrs ) yes it is a lot more talk of change now more than ever, BUT WE SHELL SEE ? I SO PRAY IT WILL CHANGE.
Good luck to all and I wish you all the best. AS my hurt seem to be with me all day every day. A mothers love is a strong love a for ever love
May 13th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
This is so unreal, conspiracy , ( That’s all i hear ) Conspiracy means that some one in trouble to get them self out of trouble tells on some one eles. nothing found. no dates of the crime. just a person in trouble tells on you and that person walks ” free” no kingpins in fed prison. just most are non- violent offender with no monry and are small time offenders ( not that any crime is right ) and we need to pay if we brake the law. But come on 20+ yrs on Conspiracy
yes the word COMSPIRACY is all you hear in the fed Prison. and no good time off.
does it make you think that it’s more that meets the eye here ? ( could this be a money making thing ? )i’ll stop here ! ” read and find out for your self.
God we need your help ” lets see with over 200,000 inmates, 140 o/o over full prisons if we will see any good time off in this prison I do hope so, I do hope I am wrong.. But we have not seen any ( or little change in 30 yrs ) yes it is a lot more talk of change now more than ever, BUT WE SHELL SEE ? I SO PRAY IT WILL CHANGE.
Good luck to all and I wish you all the best. AS my hurt seems to be with me all day every day. A mothers love is a strong love a for ever love
June 5th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Hi my brother has cancer and he’s 60 and he got 32 to life for comspiracy and mail froud and interstate dransport.He has been in prison for 15 year’s.If he would of killed some one he would be out.Im NOT SAYING that he should’nt of whent to prison But come on 32 to life. He is he’s owen nures that has to be all bad. My famile can’t be with him Because he can’t sit in a visting room.So we feel helples.Let my brother come home for the last part of his life.I hear that they mit be letting people out that are over 60 and have health problems.Dose anyone now about this????? Also I have a son that is in prison. He was in cal prison and they moved him to AZ and than moved him to mississippi.I live in cal so I wont be seeing my son.I worrie about my brother and my so much.They are both so far away .
worried mother and sister
June 7th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
take the murders,child killers,drug dealers and put them to death 48 hrs. after they are convicted no appeals. take all these drunk drivers and repeated driveing offenders out in the roads and work hell out of them 10 hours a day for six months and give their licens back and tell them there is no second chance and as far as im concerned these people that kill someone while driveing while drunk druged up sentence them to ten years and hard labor no parole maybe they will think before they drink. child molesters and rapest put prison for life 30 years no parole these are the laws that should be set up and enforced maybe we could then cut the hell out of cost to keep up prisons and inmates.