Prisoners on Parole

The lead article in today’s New York Times, titled “Safety is Issue as Budget Cuts Free Prisoners,” describes the role of many state governments releasing prisoners early in order to save money in very tight state budgets. The states mentioned include Oregon, Illinois, Colorado and California, to name a few.

Here we see the very real effect of the recession on political decisions with ramifications throughout society. The story mentions many early release offenders who committed additional crimes, and you really can’t measure the new victims in terms of dollars and cents. In addition, the overall level of anxiety rises as the population’s sense of public safety starts to erode.

It is hard to talk about moderation in early-release programs, and each case should really be dealt with on an individual basis. Of course, the same tight budget leading to an early release program also means the staff to deal with an increased number of parolees is also lacking.

The number of early release prisoners in some states is truly staggering ; they number in the thousands. I think prisoners should be freed early for good behavior and with some evidence of a real change of heart. The problem in undertaking these programs in order to save money, however, involves pressure to release more rather than less. In effect, the evaluation process is being short-circuited to the detriment of all.