Arizona Makes Jail Proposal
Arizona’s governor has proposed solving a state prison financial problem by sending inmates to their counties.
More than 10,000 felons who serve time each year in state prisons could instead serve out their sentences in county jails under a plan proposed by Gov. Janet Napolitano. The move, part of Napolitano’s strategy to close a budget shortfall that she pegs at nearly $1.3 billion next year, would save the state about $60 million and help to alleviate some crowding in the prison system. But the change would mean more inmates and, thus, higher costs for cash-strapped counties, especially Maricopa County … Under the plan, felons convicted of non-violent crimes who have less than a year to serve would be sent to county jails. Current law requires that some felons with as little as four months to serve be housed in state prisons. Those include some DUI inmates and felons who violate their probation or have some prison time as a condition of probation.
More details at the Arizona Republic.