Imprisoned by costs

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Whatever this year holds for Michigan's budget, one thing should be clear: lawmakers must continue the search for savings. Gov. Jennifer Granholm in her State of the State address rightly identified the Department of Corrections as one area that is ripe for reform. Michigan spends more per prisoner than any other Midwestern state. We put more people behind bars than any neighboring state. That presents two areas for scrutiny in balancing this year's budget -- per prisoner costs and the number incarcerated.

This overdue examination can and should happen this year. Ms. Granholm, a Democrat, has vowed not to raise taxes and will therefore be looking for cuts. Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop, R-Rochester, has zeroed in on corrections as an area to reform. In addition, Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, must be a major player in examining these costs and bringing them into line.

Corrections is one of four major cost categories in the general fund, that portion of state spending lawmakers control. The other categories are higher education, public health and the Department of Human Services. Between 1990 and last year, the budget for corrections more than doubled to $2 billion. Only spending on community health -- Medicaid -- rose at a faster rate in recent years.

A Senate Fiscal Agency analysis completed last year breaks down some of the cost factors. One contributor is the state's sizable prison population. Michigan houses more inmates in relation to its total population than any of its midwestern neighbors -- Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois. Michigan ranks 11th in the country, according to the agency's analysis, with 489 inmates per 100,000 residents.

The state needs to undertake an analysis of exactly who is behind bars. Are there less expensive but safe alternatives to imprisonment for some nonviolent offenders? Along with that should come a look at the parole process. A decreasing number of prisoners have been paroled in the last few years, a reaction to high profile cases of parolees who committed crimes.

In addition, the state needs to look at the costs for providing health care to inmates. During the same period that the Department of Corrections' overall budget doubled, spending on prisoner health care quadrupled. Health care costs have soared everywhere. Even in that context, these expenses merit a hard look. The annual cost per prisoner in Michigan is $30,555. Compare that to Indiana's $20,294, or any other neighboring state, where the price is considerably lower. The primary reason for that number, according to the Senate analysis, is wages and benefits for corrections workers. The state made progress on trimming employee benefits in the last round of contract negotiations. More can be done.

Michigan's streets must be safe and its budget sensibly balanced. But taxpayers shouldn't continue to suffer the chains of exorbitant corrections costs.



Imprisoned by costs Wednesday, February 06, 2008 Whatever this year holds for Michigan's budget, one thing should be clear: lawmakers must continue the search for savings. Gov. Jennifer Granholm in her State of the State address rightly identified the Department of Corrections as one area that is ripe for reform. Michigan spends more per prisoner than any other Midwestern state. We put more people behind bars than any neighboring state. That presents two areas for scrutiny in balancing this year's budget -- per prisoner costs and the number incarcerated. This overdue examination can and should happen this year. Ms. Granholm, a Democrat, has vowed not to raise taxes and will therefore be looking for cuts. Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop, R-Rochester, has zeroed in on corrections as an area to reform. In addition, Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, must be a major player in examining these costs and bringing them into line. Corrections is one of four major cost categories in the general fund, that portion of state spending lawmakers control. The other categories are higher education, public health and the Department of Human Services. Between 1990 and last year, the budget for corrections more than doubled to $2 billion. Only spending on community health -- Medicaid -- rose at a faster rate in recent years. A Senate Fiscal Agency analysis completed last year breaks down some of the cost factors. One contributor is the state's sizable prison population. Michigan houses more inmates in relation to its total population than any of its midwestern neighbors -- Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois. Michigan ranks 11th in the country, according to the agency's analysis, with 489 inmates per 100,000 residents. The state needs to undertake an analysis of exactly who is behind bars. Are there less expensive but safe alternatives to imprisonment for some nonviolent offenders? Along with that should come a look at the parole process. A decreasing number of prisoners have been paroled in the last few years, a reaction to high profile cases of parolees who committed crimes. In addition, the state needs to look at the costs for providing health care to inmates. During the same period that the Department of Corrections' overall budget doubled, spending on prisoner health care quadrupled. Health care costs have soared everywhere. Even in that context, these expenses merit a hard look. The annual cost per prisoner in Michigan is $30,555. Compare that to Indiana's $20,294, or any other neighboring state, where the price is considerably lower. The primary reason for that number, according to the Senate analysis, is wages and benefits for corrections workers. The state made progress on trimming employee benefits in the last round of contract negotiations. More can be done. Michigan's streets must be safe and its budget sensibly balanced. But taxpayers shouldn't continue to suffer the chains of exorbitant corrections costs. Š2008 Grand Rapids Press Š 2008 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.