The Department of Corrections and
the Regional Jail Authority are aiming to reduce inmate numbers under new
legislation.
Regional Jail Authority Director
Joe DeLong calls the most recent legislation, SB457, another in a series of
steps that is starting to ease overcrowding in regional jails and state
prisons.
The legislation authorized the
Department of Corrections to send counselors into the regional jails and offer
courses to state inmates awaiting transfer to the prison system. Often the
courses are required for inmates to be eligible for parole.
DeLong said the aim is getting
“these inmates in front of the parole board and not have their parole hearings
continued over and over again because those criteria are not met. Getting them
in front of the parole board quicker is hopefully going to get a lot of people
out of the system quicker and reduce over-population issues.”
State lawmakers provided additional
funding for the program to the Division of Corrections in the new budget passed
last week.
DeLong said already there is bed
space available in the regional jails. The hiring of additional jail guards has
actually been a costs savings to the system. The opening of the Salem
Industrial Home for Youth as a minimum security lockup also helped with
crowding in the prisons and the regional jails.
DeLong said improvements to the
sewage treatment system at the Lakin Women’s Prison also enabled it to add
inmates and become closer to its capacity, freeing up space in the regional
jails.
Prior to the legislation however,
state prison inmates housed in the regional jails didn’t have the course
offerings they would get in prison.
“Instead of just
doing cognitive behavior programming, the Division of Corrections will
come into the jails and offer the programming inmates housed there need for
parole eligibility,” said DeLong.
The Department of Corrections will
provide the instructors. DeLong said the Regional Jail Authority will provide a
classroom and scheduling that makes the target inmates easily accessible to the
counselors when they visit jails.
The state Division of Corrections has considered sending some of
inmates to an out-of-state prison to bridge the gap of missing programs.
