Pubdate: Fri, 28 May 2004 Source: Mobile Register (AL) Copyright: 2004 Mobile Register Contact: http://www.al.com/mobileregister/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/269 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing) SENTENCING REFORM A PRIORITY It's too bad the Legislature didn't get around to reforming the state's sentencing laws. But if Gov. Bob Riley calls a special session, he'd be right to put the issue on its agenda. If there is no special session, the Legislature should make the new voluntary sentencing guidelines a priority next year. The guidelines are needed to bring fairness to Alabama's justice system. Great disparities in sentencing exist that need to be eliminated. Similar crimes can bring a one-year sentence in one county and 10 or 12 years in a neighboring county. Moreover, Alabama sometimes locks up nonviolent offenders for too long. There's a pragmatic reason for sentencing reform, too: It could save Alabama lots of money. By changing the way it sentences nonviolent criminals, the state can reserve its prison space for the violent criminals who need to be locked away for a long time. With about 20,000 inmates, Alabama's prisons hold nearly twice as many prisoners as they were designed for. But to build more prisons would be prohibitively expensive. A recent study estimated the state would have to spend $934 million to build enough prison space to properly accommodate all its prisoners. Meanwhile, overcrowding is such a problem that there's a backlog of more than 1,200 convicts waiting in county jails for a bed in a state prison. The state is letting some nonviolent inmates out early, but even that won't be enough over the long term. After four years of study, the Sentencing Commission recommended lowering the minimum sentences for most drug-possession offenses and minor property crimes. It also suggested a points system to help remove the disparities found in sentencing. The recommendations are reasonable and deserve to be put in place as soon as possible. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom