What steps should states take when too many people crowd their prisons? In Indiana, the answer to prison overcrowding might lie in reducing the penalties for offenders who have committed non-violent crimes.
The Post-Tribune newspaper of Merrillville, Indiana recently reported on the efforts of a panel of Indiana state lawmakers that is reviewing criminal sentencing laws in the state. This effort comes after Gov. Mitch Daniels failed to persuade legislators to support his plan to reduce prison sentences for low-level offenders.
The Post-Tribune reported that the Criminal Code Evaluation Commission held its initial meeting in late June, and will meet several more times with the goal of developing a new prison overcrowding solution to present to state lawmakers during their 2012 session.
According to a story by the Evansville Courier, the commission's members are breaking the controversial issue into four parts. Commission members will look at theft, drug crimes, sex crimes and sentencing. The hope is that this approach will make what could be an overwhelming issue into one that's far more manageable. The commission has met as many as 10 times through November.
Daniels has suggested that low-level drug and theft offenders be transitioned out of prisons and into community-based programs, according to the Evansville Courier. Such a move could lessen the number of inmates in the state's prisons. Not everyone supports this, though. The criminal sentencing proposal has been met with resistance by county prosecutors.
Daniels has found little success in converting lawmakers to his stance. According to the Post-Tribune story, he had made reworking criminal sentencing laws a top priority for this year's legislative session. His administration estimated that Daniels' plan could have saved Indiana $1.2 billion in new prison costs over the next seven years.
Of course, Indiana is far from the only state wrestling with prison overcrowding. Tough sentencing laws, especially for drug crimes, have created a booming prison population. Other states will be watching Indiana's new commission closely. And if the commission members find a workable solution to prison overcrowding, other states may follow their lead.
