TNC
03-25-2004, 06:51 PM
Invest in parole
This legislative session, proper allocation of available funds is again the major challenge to be met.
Idaho Department of Correction director Tom Beauclair and Olivia Craven, executive director of the Commission for Pardons and Parole, have both made statements recently concerning the parole release of inmates who are currently incarcerated.
They agree that many of those inmates currently in prison could be released to varying levels of parole supervision, without compromising the public safety.
The obstacle to these parole releases is that there are not enough probation and parole officers to supervise the new parolees. There´s a simple solution to this problem.
Inmates in prison cost $22,000 annually to house; those on parole cost about $3,000 per year to supervise. The savings between the cost of incarceration and the cost of parole is substantial.
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has rejected a budget request for 14 additional probation and parole officers, at a cost of $1.1 million, for Fiscal Year 2005. At an average of 50 persons supervised, this is 700 people — translating into millions in savings, realized from the difference between the costs of imprisonment and parole. Please urge your senator and representative to support legislation that would put more parolees in the community.
Kelly Winberg, Boise
This legislative session, proper allocation of available funds is again the major challenge to be met.
Idaho Department of Correction director Tom Beauclair and Olivia Craven, executive director of the Commission for Pardons and Parole, have both made statements recently concerning the parole release of inmates who are currently incarcerated.
They agree that many of those inmates currently in prison could be released to varying levels of parole supervision, without compromising the public safety.
The obstacle to these parole releases is that there are not enough probation and parole officers to supervise the new parolees. There´s a simple solution to this problem.
Inmates in prison cost $22,000 annually to house; those on parole cost about $3,000 per year to supervise. The savings between the cost of incarceration and the cost of parole is substantial.
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has rejected a budget request for 14 additional probation and parole officers, at a cost of $1.1 million, for Fiscal Year 2005. At an average of 50 persons supervised, this is 700 people — translating into millions in savings, realized from the difference between the costs of imprisonment and parole. Please urge your senator and representative to support legislation that would put more parolees in the community.
Kelly Winberg, Boise