Push To Release Inmates Increases Pressure For More Re-Entry Help
Saturday, March 20th, 2010Cash-strapped states are releasing thousands of prisoners as they seek to trim ballooning prison budgets, says the Wall Street Journal. The same squeeze compelling them to free more inmates makes it tougher for ex-convicts to start a new life, and is fueling a debate about how best to prevent them from returning to crime. Some policymakers are pushing states to help ex-convicts assimilate. “The battle here and in other states has been whether money saved by reducing incarceration will then be reinvested into programs designed to keep people safely out of prison,” says Michigan state Sen. Alan Cropsey, who supports devoting more resources to counseling parolees. (more…)

