Department of Corrections to Close Mecklenburg Correctional Center
RICHMOND – Following Pennsylvania’s decision to remove nearly 1,000 inmates currently housed under contract in Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell has directed the Department of Corrections to close the Mecklenburg Correctional Center in Boydton. The removal of the out-of-state prisoners, along with the resulting loss of revenue (estimated at approximately $20 million a year), will require the consolidation of existing prison facilities in order to maximize the use of existing assets and avoid the state having to replace the revenue previously paid by Pennsylvania. The governor’s Chief of Staff, Martin Kent, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Expenditures, Prison Conditions
NVO Task Force Report
In 2009, the Secretary of Public Safety convened the Alternatives for Non-Violent Offenders Task Force, which produced a report of policies and practices which protect the public, hold offenders accountable for their actions, and control costs. The following is the executive summary from that report. The report can be found at Virginia’s Legislative Information System
Executive Summary Virginia today has four times as many prison inmates as it did 25 years ago. In 1982, there were 9,192 state responsible inmates; at the close of FY2009, there were 38,387. (*1) To accommodate this growing inmate population, Virginia has built a number of correctional facilities. Since 1990, the Commonwealth has added over 22,000 state prison beds. With this … Read entire article »
Filed under: Expenditures_Featured, Featured, Sentencing_Featured
Incarceration Rates, Crime Rates and Taxpayer Costs
Did you Know?
That it is not clear that increasing incarceration rates has reduced crime in Virginia versus other states between 2000 and 2009?
Virginia Compared with the US and Other States
Incarceration Rates, Crime Rates and Taxpayer Costs
… Read entire article »
Filed under: Crime_Featured, Expenditures_Featured, Sentencing_Featured
Testimony of Virginia C.U.R.E. at the Regional Public Hearings on the Governor’s Proposed 2008-10 Biennial State Budget
January 9, 2009
The Honorable Lacey E. Putney
Chairman, House Appropriations Committee
P.O. Box 406
General Assembly Building
Richmond, Virginia 23218
The Honorable Charles J. Colgan
Chairman, Senate Finance Committee
10th Floor
General Assembly Building
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Dear Chairmen Putney and Colgan:
On behalf of Virginia C.U.R.E, please associate the enclosed written comments with the oral testimony of C.U.R.E. members at your regional public hearings on the Governor’s proposed 2008-10 biennial state budget. These comments provide a more detailed explanation of our concerns about the priorities reflected in the proposed budget.
Because most of Virginia C.U.R.E.’s testimony addresses the budget proposals for the Commonwealth’s public safety agencies, we are also providing copies of these written comments to the chairmen of your respective Public Safety Subcommittees.
Thank you very … Read entire article »
Filed under: Expenditures_Featured, Recommendations
Budget Recommendations from Virginia CURE
Tighten Virginia’s Budget Wisely
Try Less Costly Alternatives to Prison Expansion
Use Savings for Education, Medicaid, Highways & Infrastructure
Despite tight budgets cutting education, healthcare, highways, and infrastructure, and with already high use of prisons, projections call for Virginia bypassing less costly alternatives in order to build more expensive, but likely less successful, prisons. This proposes a ten-year recess in prison building, and instead reduce Virginia’s prison population (including from local jails) within three years to existing capacity, by implementing less costly, proven and promising non-prison alternatives –
… Read entire article »Filed under: Expenditures, Recommendations