Pubdate: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 Source: Decatur Daily (AL) Copyright: 2004 The Decatur Daily Contact: http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/index.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/696 EARLY PAROLE PROGRAM RESULTS ARE ENCOURAGING One of the more expensive budget items this year and in years past has been money allocated to care for state prisoners, including facilities, staff, food and medications. That financial burden is a holdover from days when people advocated tough punishment and jail terms for most crimes, especially those related to drugs. By bowing to get-tough advocates, the courts filled jails to overflowing. Now, Alabama is trying to alleviate part of the problem by paroling prisoners jailed for nonviolent crimes. Most fall into the drug- and alcohol-related offenses. Since starting its early release program, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles has paroled 3,637 inmates through nonviolent offender "special dockets." When these paroles were announced, law enforcement officers gave a doom-and-gloom forecast about the dangers of sending these convicts back into communities. They predicted crime would go up immediately following their release. Apparently, these predictions were wrong. Of those paroled, 155, or 4 percent, have been returned to prison. And, only about half of that group is being returned for a new crime. They are being returned for parole violations. The initial figures are encouraging because the recidivism rate for released prisoners has run as high as 25 percent in the past. District attorneys across the state are still worried that people will quickly learn there will be no substantial punishment for nonviolent crimes and the numbers will go up. Certainly, offenders need to be punished, but cities and counties have alternatives, such as monitored home arrest, to putting people in prison. And most of these options are safe and still save taxpayers thousands. It's still a bit early to judge the release program based on the actions of those released. But if former prisoners can become productive members of our society, they should be welcomed back. If they can't, they should go back to prison. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin