Georgia Corrections Officials Plan Cutbacks

JACKSON, Ga. – Officials with the Georgia Department of Corrections are calling their current budget situation a crisis. Officials say they might have to close four prisons, lay off an additional 50 employees and implement a hiring freeze.

The news was delivered to members of the state’s Board of Corrections. The prison system's 2004 budget of $882 million is the same as its 2001 budget, however, three years ago there were 7,000 fewer inmates and 100 more employees. Last year's budget was $957 million.

The budget cutbacks are a result of Governor Sonny Perdue's decision not to use an accounting shift to balance the budget. As a result, departments with the largest budgets, such as the DOC and the state's university system, are hardest hit.

Many of the state's Board of Corrections members are sheriffs managing county jails, sheriffs who are also suffering as a result of the state's budget crisis because county jails are overcrowded as a result of not being able to transfer inmates to state prisons, themselves severely overcrowded.

They say the possible closure of four state facilities would create the worst jail crisis in the history of Georgia's jails. In addition, counties face financial hardships because the state's reimbursement for holding its inmates does not fully cover the cost of incarcerating them.

One of the options being worked out includes increasing the number of inmates being paroled. Milton E. “Buddy” Nix Jr., chairman of the state parole board, said officials are working overtime considering which inmates might qualify for early release.

But with the parole board also facing budget cuts, they need to limit the number of new parolees so as not to overload parole officers. Ideally, one parole officer supervises 50 parolees, but Georgia currently averages 80 parolees for each officer. The parole board said it would take its time making parole decisions because public safety is its top priority.