NO NEW PRISON PLANNED THIS YEAR

As Gov. Mel Carnahan prepares his budget, what has become a routine item is singularly lacking. The budget includes no money for a new prison in Missouri. It is the first time in five years a new prison has not been proposed in the state budget.

Missouri officials may be ready to give a collective cheer. Unfortunately, the fact that there is no prison on the drawing board doesn't signal an end to Missouri's correction crisis. But at least the state has a year of breathing room from a fiscal point of view.

Crime costs taxpayers big bucks. Missouri spends more than half a billion dollars every year to battle crime in the state. Typically, at least one new prison is included in the battle plan.

The state currently houses 24,971 prisoners -- a population that is growing by six each day. That leaves little room left from the 25,539 available spaces. But new prisons under construction -- including one in Charleston -- will add just over 7,000 beds over the next two years.

Department of Correction officials feel the prisons under construction, along with improvements at existing facilities, should hold the state until mid-2004. Of course all that could change if the number of new prisoners increases dramatically.

The fact the crime rate continues to decline has helped the situation. In addition, the state feels three several new programs, including community treatment programs and local sentencing initiatives, have reduced the number of people in prison. No prisons on the drawing board should allow the state to allocate sizable dollars into programs aimed at keeping criminals out of jail.

Or what about a tax cut?