MONROE - Wisconsin spends about $29,000 a year for each inmate in prison, and in 10 years the state will spend about $1.2 billion every year to pay for the prisons that house the inmates.
Those costs could be reduced if some prisoners were released early.
In his budget proposal address to the Legislature Feb. 17, Gov. Jim Doyle said the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) would continue to protect the public safety but would do so more efficiently. He said violent offenders would stay in prison but non-violent offenders would be offered opportunities at rehabilitation and a "chance to resume productive lives in the community."
DOC Secretary Rick Raemisch told Green County law officials Friday that of the 23,000 people in state prisons, about 6,000 could be eligible for a strict review to consider early release. Of the 6,000, he estimates about 1,000 prisoners could be released early.
The savings to the state, while not specifically outlined in either Raemisch's statements or in Doyle's budget proposal, could be as much as $27 million.
Raemisch met with Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick, Chief Deputy Jeff Skatrud, Lt. Paul Weichbrod, Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley and New Glarus Police Chief Steve Allbaugh at the Green County Sheriff's Department. Over the past few weeks, he's traveled to several counties to meet with law officials to talk to them about Doyle's budget as it pertains to law enforcement.
Raemisch said the prisoners who are released early would be non-violent and would have to pass through heavy screening by the DOC before they're allowed to leave prison.
There are some prisoners who need anger management, job skills or education to be productive in society, he said. Once they've received the assistance, they can be put back into the community.
Wisconsin's Truth In Sentencing, established eight years ago, says a person must serve the actual sentence imposed by the judge.
Raemisch said the problem with the Truth In Sentencing law is that the only part of the law that passed was the requirement to serve full sentences. A second aspect proposed, to create guidelines for sentence, was never passed. The time a person spends in jail is based on the will of the court, he said.
There are some prisoners in Wisconsin prisons who have been rehabilitated and could function as a member of society, Raemisch said. But Truth In Sentencing laws force them to stay in prison and only creates hostility toward the justice system and society.
According to Raemisch, prisoners have no incentive to rehabilitate themselves or improve themselves if they know it won't make a difference in the amount of time they serve. They have to remain in prison just as long as someone who causes trouble and creates more problems in prison.
"People are going to come out of prison one of two ways: We can send them back to their community with an education and a skill, or we can send them back mad," Raemisch said. "There are criminals and then there are people who commit crimes."
Raemisch said there are no plans to let out people who deserve to be in prison. No sex offenders would be eligible to be released early, he said.
There are those, besides non-violent offenders, who are incapable either physically or mentally of committing more crimes.
Raemisch said there is a growing number of prisoners who are older and require health care, which must be paid for by the state.
"I have 17 inmates who are costing the state $100,000 a year in health care; about 70 who cost the state $50,000 a year; and one who costs $500,000 a year," he said.
The only way someone who is ill can get out of prison early now, he continued, is for two doctors to say the person has six months or less to live. Until the person's health gets to that point, they are required to remain in prison.
Raemisch said he knows there are opponents to the plan who will try to suggest the state merely wants to open the cell doors and let people out, but he said that argument isn't fair or honest.
"Get tough on crime. That old rhetoric has to fall by the wayside. We need to get smart on crime," he said.
Local law enforcement officials said they understood what Doyle and the DOC want to do and expressed some support for the plan to release offenders earlier.
Those costs could be reduced if some prisoners were released early.
In his budget proposal address to the Legislature Feb. 17, Gov. Jim Doyle said the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) would continue to protect the public safety but would do so more efficiently. He said violent offenders would stay in prison but non-violent offenders would be offered opportunities at rehabilitation and a "chance to resume productive lives in the community."
DOC Secretary Rick Raemisch told Green County law officials Friday that of the 23,000 people in state prisons, about 6,000 could be eligible for a strict review to consider early release. Of the 6,000, he estimates about 1,000 prisoners could be released early.
The savings to the state, while not specifically outlined in either Raemisch's statements or in Doyle's budget proposal, could be as much as $27 million.
Raemisch met with Green County Sheriff Randy Roderick, Chief Deputy Jeff Skatrud, Lt. Paul Weichbrod, Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley and New Glarus Police Chief Steve Allbaugh at the Green County Sheriff's Department. Over the past few weeks, he's traveled to several counties to meet with law officials to talk to them about Doyle's budget as it pertains to law enforcement.
Raemisch said the prisoners who are released early would be non-violent and would have to pass through heavy screening by the DOC before they're allowed to leave prison.
There are some prisoners who need anger management, job skills or education to be productive in society, he said. Once they've received the assistance, they can be put back into the community.
Wisconsin's Truth In Sentencing, established eight years ago, says a person must serve the actual sentence imposed by the judge.
Raemisch said the problem with the Truth In Sentencing law is that the only part of the law that passed was the requirement to serve full sentences. A second aspect proposed, to create guidelines for sentence, was never passed. The time a person spends in jail is based on the will of the court, he said.
There are some prisoners in Wisconsin prisons who have been rehabilitated and could function as a member of society, Raemisch said. But Truth In Sentencing laws force them to stay in prison and only creates hostility toward the justice system and society.
According to Raemisch, prisoners have no incentive to rehabilitate themselves or improve themselves if they know it won't make a difference in the amount of time they serve. They have to remain in prison just as long as someone who causes trouble and creates more problems in prison.
"People are going to come out of prison one of two ways: We can send them back to their community with an education and a skill, or we can send them back mad," Raemisch said. "There are criminals and then there are people who commit crimes."
Raemisch said there are no plans to let out people who deserve to be in prison. No sex offenders would be eligible to be released early, he said.
There are those, besides non-violent offenders, who are incapable either physically or mentally of committing more crimes.
Raemisch said there is a growing number of prisoners who are older and require health care, which must be paid for by the state.
"I have 17 inmates who are costing the state $100,000 a year in health care; about 70 who cost the state $50,000 a year; and one who costs $500,000 a year," he said.
The only way someone who is ill can get out of prison early now, he continued, is for two doctors to say the person has six months or less to live. Until the person's health gets to that point, they are required to remain in prison.
Raemisch said he knows there are opponents to the plan who will try to suggest the state merely wants to open the cell doors and let people out, but he said that argument isn't fair or honest.
"Get tough on crime. That old rhetoric has to fall by the wayside. We need to get smart on crime," he said.
Local law enforcement officials said they understood what Doyle and the DOC want to do and expressed some support for the plan to release offenders earlier.