OLYMPIA — Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail warned state senators Thursday that a proposed money-saving measure will put hundreds of inmates convicted of violent crimes and sex offenses on the street before their sentences expire.
“These are some of the most dangerous individuals in our prison system,” Vail told the Senate Ways and Means Committee. “This is not a population that should be out of prison until we absolutely have to let them out.”
Vail was testifying about a bill to save the state roughly $12 million by pushing those offenders out of prisons quicker and ending community supervision of convicted criminals when they walk out of county jails.
“All the reductions in sentencing and supervision the department has taken up until now have been taken on the principle that our resources must be devoted to supervising or incarcerating the highest-risk offenders,” Vail said.
“This bill abandons that principle and in doing so compromises public safety beyond what we can recommend or agree with as corrections professionals,” he said.
Senators aren’t taking this step lightly, but those savings are assumed in the two-year budget they passed earlier this month.
That plan, crafted by Democratic and Republican senators, eliminated a $5.1 billion deficit by combining reserves with $4.8 billion in cuts to education, health care, human services and corrections.
Senators earlier endorsed shortening sentences of inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes by 60 days. They dropped that idea in the face of opposition from Gov. Chris Gregoire and turned to the approach laid out in Senate Bill 5891.
The bill would:
•Bar the Department of Corrections from keeping prisoners past the release date they have earned through good behavior.
Today inmates can get out on their earned release date if they have housing and a plan for easing back into society. Without housing or a plan, they remain locked up until they serve their full sentences.
Vail said those convicted of sex offenses and violent crimes usually don’t have housing or a re-entry plan and therefore serve their time. The bill requires their release if they have less than a year to go in their sentence.
Senators asked Vail what the value is in keeping them locked up an extra year.
“That’s a year they are not out committing violent offenses,” he said.
•End supervision of inmates released from city and county jails.
Roughly 61 percent of the people now on community supervision come directly from local jails, Vail said. Prisoners with a history of domestic violence or those viewed as a high risk to commit new violent crimes would still be supervised under the bill.
•Reduce supervision of first-time offenders by half.
While senators aren’t fond of the steps laid out in the bill, they made clear Thursday they are trying to come up with policies which match the budget they passed.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, sounded frustrated as she insisted lawmakers want to make reductions that will show no discernible impact on public safety.
And she took a jab at the state House, which has yet to pass any bill to carry out the policy changes in its budget.
The House assumes hundreds of inmates will be released early from state prisons over the next two years to save $26 million. Their plan shaves four months off the sentences of most inmates. Those convicted of sex crimes, violent crimes and crimes against a person would not be eligible.
Rep. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, said he had not read the Senate bill but would be concerned if it means prisoners are let out before they finish their sentences and then are not supervised at all. He strongly opposed the House budget because it released inmates early.
“I would like a hearing on this bill to get a fuller understanding,” said Pearson, who is the ranking Republican on the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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