Pubdate: Mon, 07 Mar 2005
Source: Virginian-Pilot (VA)
Copyright: 2005, The Virginian-Pilot
Contact:  http://www.pilotonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/483
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

AN ANTI-CRIME PLAN THAT BELONGS BEHIND BARS

It's tough running as a tough-on-crime candidate in a state that's among 
the nation's toughest on crime.

The perennial need to up the ante can lead to such nonsense as "The Death 
Penalty Enhancement Act" (see former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore's 2005 
legislative package). When Virginia is surpassed only by Texas in 
executions over the past quarter century, there's not a lot to enhance.

The same thinking led GOP attorney general-hopeful Steve Baril to complain 
that Virginia's not locking up enough nonviolent offenders. Even though 
Virginia has the 13th highest incarceration rate in the nation, those 
convicted of stealing and drug offenses too often avoid jail time, he said.

And just what would it cost the commonwealth to start locking up all those 
extra prisoners?

Not surprisingly, Baril had no idea. Didn't he expect anyone to ask? Or 
does he regard the expense as unworthy of consideration?

The omission reflects fundamental misunderstanding of the 
truth-in-sentencing reform spearheaded by then-governor, now-U.S. Sen. 
George Allen a decade ago. The unassailable logic of that reform was to 
bring time-served in line with the sentences being meted out.

The goal also was to keep violent criminals behind bars for dramatically 
longer periods of time. To afford it, the state needed to divert many 
nonviolent criminals into less-expensive programs closer to home. That's 
been accomplished with what most people, on balance, would say is 
commendable success.

If anything, critics complain that the state still spends too much money 
incarcerating nonviolent offenders.

And why didn't the state just lock up everyone? First, it's unclear what 
that would accomplish. Given the shortage of rehabilitative programs in 
prisons, a long sentence can be a prescription for a doomed life.

Second, the public purse is not boundless. When Florida did parole and 
sentencing reform, lawmakers decided to be tough on everyone and locked up 
purse snatchers, weapons violators, drug users. Within a few years, the 
situation was a mess.

Prisons were overcrowded. Violent offenders were exiting through a 
revolving door. The budget was draining resources from schools, colleges 
and mental health clinics. Federal officials were threatening to take charge.

Virginia learned from Florida's mistake. Baril hasn't. He needs to do some 
homework before trotting out such a lame idea as a serious policy proposal.

Still, give him some sympathy. It's not easy to think up new ways of being 
tough on crime when generations of clever politicians beat you to the punch.
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MAP posted-by: Beth