Re: The $2.6 billion budget shortfall, PubliCola reader Perfect Voter gets today’s “Comment of the Day” :
3. Perfect Voter says:
How many prisons could we close if the Gov. commuted the sentences of all the low-level non-violent drug offenders now incarcerated?
11/25/2009 at 1:12 pm
Definitely some macro political wisdom there about priorities.
However, a little micro political reality: While the fiscal note on last year’s marijuana reform bill—which downgraded possession of small amounts of marijuana to a civil infraction— put savings at $16 million, most of those savings came at the county and local court level not the state prison level. The state would have gotten about $1.2 million.
Typical low-level drug offenders (simple possession as opposed to manufacturers and dealers) don’t do time in state facilities. Typically, they get 90 days at the local level.
However, Perfect Voter is onto something here. “Clucks,” for example—addicts who are exploited by pushers to deal—do get time in state prison (where you go for drug sentences over a year) for participating in the drug trade at that more prominent level.
So, clearly, there is a waste of money in the system.
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You’re right, Josh; the *real* low-level offenders are in the county jails. I was referring to the addicts as in your last paragraph. Those folks should be in treatment somewhere.
My comment admittedly came off the top of my head. It would be good to know the actual number of “clucks” as you call them in state prisons. Their removal to treatment wouldn’t solve the budget problem but it’s one of the little things that ought to be on the table.
Josh, I like comment of the day, but shouldn’t there also be poseur of the day, the Joanie Falter or Red VanTyke award.
Alas Gregoire decided instead she’d prefer to deport non-citizens caught up in the criminal justice system to save money.
you have convinced us we could save some serious dought if we let everyone in a state prison out, if they are there for a drug law volations but not another cirme, or a crime of violence.
so, um….you wanna do some reporting and mebbe tell us how much money we talking about here?
Let’s start with this factoid. Are we spending more on basic health or on jailing, feeding and providing free lawyers, and free health care to all the folks in jail on drug laws?
inquiring minds wanna know.