Pubdate: Mon, 12 Nov 2007
Source: Muskogee Daily Phoenix (OK)
Copyright: 2007 Muskogee Daily Phoenix
Contact:  http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3319

CURBING CRIME COMPLICATED

Oklahoma does not need more prison beds. It needs fewer.

Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, said earlier this  month that he
will file a bill proposing a bond issue  to pay for an additional
3,800 beds at state prisons.

According to the state Department of Corrections on  Nov. 1, the state
and private prisons were  incarcerating more than 24,300 inmates, with
another  1,100 state prisoners being held in county jails. The  annual
cost for Oklahoma's prisons is now more than  half a billion dollars
to house prisoners, and  Lerblance is proposing a $309.7 million,
25-year bond  issue to add 3,800 more beds.

Every state needs laws and prisons, but our goal should  be to lock up
as few people as possible, not as many as  we can.

Some of Lerblance's $309.7 million could go a long way  towards
supporting drug courts and drug rehabilitation  programs to reduce the
burden that drug crimes have on  our prison system. Some of
Lerblance's millions could  go toward programs that teach people
skills so that  they can be gainfully employed rather than a burden to
  taxpayers.

Oklahoma is usually at or near the top of state  rankings in the
highest percentage of its population  that is incarcerated. We should
seek to be at the  bottom.

Adding beds is just another poor excuse to rely on  prisons more and
pretend that creates a safer society.
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MAP posted-by: Derek