Cost of prisons comes under close scrutiny

More than a decade ago, crime rates everywhere were increasing at alarming rates. Lawmakers everywhere -- Missouri included -- reacted by adopting laws requiring more stringent sentencing for offenders. The era of mandatory sentencing ensued.

Judges for the most part embraced the tougher laws.

Prosecutors went after offenders with a renewed zeal that comes from knowing the new laws would send more criminals to prison.

And law-enforcement agencies favored mandatory sentencing because it meant fewer criminals would avoid serving time.

The results have been a two-edged sword.

Crime rates in general have been on a decline. Large cities have credited get-tough policies and mandatory sentencing for making residents and visitors feel safer.

At the same time, prison populations have soared.

While economic growth provided substantial new revenue, most state governments were all too happy to build prisons to house the increase in inmates.

In 1993, there were 15,409 prison inmates in Missouri. By last year, the number had nearly doubled to 29,871.

Two of the new prisons were constructed in Southeast Missouri. But the opening of the facility at Bonne Terre was delayed when money wasn't appropriated for operations. The prison at Charleston has experienced some delays in becoming fully operational.

Current estimates forecast a need to build another 1,600-bed prison every year at a cost (based on current construction costs) of $80 million just to keep pace.

Given the gap between anticipated state revenue and increasing spending demands from state agencies, it isn't likely that Missouri -- or most any other state -- can afford to keep adding prisons, inmates and security officers at the current rate.

A decade ago, the Missouri Department of Corrections had a $197.2 million budget. This fiscal year, which ends June 30, the budget is $565.8 million. Gov. Bob Holden has requested an additional $20 million for prisons for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Even legislators who once were strong advocates of tough mandatory sentences have taken stock of the situation and are working to find workable remedies.

State Rep. Kevin Engler of Farmington, who sits on the committee that oversees the corrections budget, has long supported tough sentencing laws. "We have got to look at some alternatives for non-violent offenders," he now says.

And state Sen. Harold Caskey, a longtime legislator who helped write many of the laws requiring tougher sentencing, agrees. He is sponsoring a measure to lower some of the maximum sentences and give judges more discretion in some cases.

Other ideas like drug courts, electronic shackles and probation also are being considered as lawmakers struggle to end the spiraling prison costs.

Drug courts impose strict guidelines for offenders trying to change their lives and can boast a recidivism rate of only 6 percent.

The cost of administering an offender's probation is a fraction of the daily cost of keeping that same offender in prison.

With all the pressure for special interests to maintain state funding levels, it's a good bet legislators will be giving the cost of building and running prisons a lot of thought this year.