To the Editor:
Is it wise to downsize the Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) program? Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank wants to cut funding for this program by 80 percent. The program was intended to reduce the jail population by focusing on drug addiction in particular, thus preventing the need for building more expensive jail space in the future.
For those who have not kept up with these developments, the ATI program was put in place in Anderson County a year ago by Mike Baker, a longtime officer in the Iowa corrections system. His analysis of Anderson County’s constantly increasing number of jail inmates points to several problems, one of which is “recidivism†(when a former prisoner returns to jail).
He commented that “Anderson County has a tremendously high recidivism rate. When I looked at the jail stats this morning, the average number of ‘priors’ for the 348 inmates incarcerated was nearly 10, while the average age of the inmates is 31. Those numbers indicate that inmates between the ages of 18 and 31 are being arrested on average nearly once each year.â€
Baker also pointed out that drug crimes are up, accounting for many of the arrests. Most of those arrested are housed in the jail until they are sentenced. The average time an offender spends in jail has increased from 17 days last year to 19 days currently, indicating that processing cases is taking longer. Each occupied jail bed costs the county $60 per day or $20,000 per year, plus medical expenses.
Clearly reducing addiction among prisoners should result in cost saving for Anderson County taxpayers. Baker’s approach is to analyze each prisoner’s risks and needs and then provide a program that will best suit him or her individually. Such a program can include counseling as a part of sentencing, counseling in the jail and, upon release, community support groups, to name only a few of the possibilities.
According to Baker, many studies have shown that treatment interventions reduce recidivism. In 54 studies, the “ICCA Journal on Community Corrections” reported that, with appropriate treatment, recidivism is reduced by 30 percent. If the jail is housing 348 persons per day, a 30 percent reduction in the number of inmates would result in a savings of over $2,000 per day, $14,000 per week, and well over $56,000 per month. Furthermore, reduction in crime and the return of young men and women to their families reduces many costs to society in addition to the costs of incarceration.
In a limited number of words, it’s not possible to explain the many solutions to typical inmate problems that Baker envisioned. We know that such programs have been successful in other places. Can we afford to continue with only 20 percent of the funds allocated to this program, a reduction from $300,000 to $58,000? We may save money now, but projections show that we will pay dearly in future building costs as the number of inmates grows.
Feeling a lack of support from some in the Anderson County judiciary and the administration, Mike Baker has resigned from his position as director of the ATI. Nonetheless, it is still possible to implement some of his initiatives IF at least a substantial portion of the original funds are replaced.
The next Anderson County Commission meeting to discuss the proposed budget will be at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, June 13) in Room 312 at the Anderson County Courthouse. Additional meetings are possible. Visit http:// www.andersontn.org/commission.html or call (865) 463-6866.
Robin Toth
Oak Ridge
Charlie Jernigan says
This seems reasonable…
If the County proposal is to cut the
responsible party for the Alternatives program and use that to fund a
contract (always questionable in County politics) to keep people on
house arrest, and the alternative is to go forward with the important
concepts of solving the root causes of most crime by repeat offenders
and thereby saving the cost of the director’s annual salary each and
every month, then this is not really a serious proposal.
Our
Alternatives program matched the goals of this successful program in Hawaii that
is actually saving money, reducing crime, reducing prison populations,
and putting families back together. For some details, you can start
with this link:
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/06/hawaii_hope_probation_program_reduces_crime_drug_use_and_time_in_prison.html
losingpatience says
From its inception this program has been dysfunctional and therefore ineffective. I would love to see Mr. Houtari (publisher of Oak Ridge Today) re-publish the letter from each of the four judges who had dealings with the program’s director explaining the ineffectiveness, due largely to the director and the unwillingness of those overseeing the program to address problems. The Mayor’s proposal is to redirect the substantial funding of the program to the more immediate need of staffing a jail, which commissioners created debt on the taxpayers to building but failed to provide for its future, now upon us, operational costs, largely jailer personnel. So all the evidence in the world that an alternatives program COULD help are pointless in the face of more immediate needs and more importantly in the face of commissioners who refuse to take responsibility for the documented failures of the program when it was in effect.
Charlie Jernigan says
Of course the possibilities are pointless if you’re not willing to solve the problem. Clearly this mayor is not interested when there is a new contract to dole out.
Sam Hopwood says
She was elected in a landslide vote Charlie. Get over it.
TJ says
Charlie, if anyone but a Democrat were for world peace, you would be against it. Read something except Slate.
I have seen fewer and fewer Obama bumper stickers lately.
Some of you Democrats are finally seeing the light.
Still displaying your colors?
TJ says
Oops. TJGarland. Speaking only for myself.
Denny Phillips says
Cut Chuck some slack TJ. He is auditioning for a job with the Obama Administration. His qualifications include living in Chicago, computer skills, seizing private property, snooping through tenant housing for proof of subversive activities and a general dislike of all things conservative.
Look out Hillary, we’ve got a real go-getter here in Oak Ridge nipping at your heels!
Charlie Jernigan says
OK, here is one you can probably read on a delicate stomach. He’s a little squirrelly, but…
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/opinion/a-conservative-case-for-prison-reform.html?_r=0
All we need is a little leadership to really solve these problems.
johnhuotari says
Eileen,
Are you referring to this letter: http://oakridgetoday.com/2013/03/29/judges-say-resigning-jail-alternatives-director-made-no-real-attempt-to-work-with-them/?
Eileen Slater says
Yes, thanks.
Denny Phillips says
Don’t worry peeps, the world is only half coming to an end, as the budget that passed only defunded ATI by half.
The Mayor’s leadership has funded the jail, cut the fat, held the line on spending and delivered the citizens a tax cut.
Not bad for a year’s work. Wait until she gets four more to work with. Great things ahead for Anderson County.