Budget Cuts Have High Criminal Justice Impact

The federal government is not alone in dealing with

budget woes. Unlike the federal government, however,

many states have a state constitutional requirement that

the budget be balanced.

To deal with inadequate amounts of revenue, states are

looking to make cuts in all programs. Some of the current

proposals are going to directly impact the criminal justice

system.

One proposal which appears to be getting wider support than

in the past involves sentencing guidelines and practices. Because

states like West Virginia literally have no room in the regional jails,

legislators are considering alternatives to jail time for low level

offenses.

One of the many complaints heard about having sentencing guidelines

is that the judges have no discretion to tailor a punishment to the

individual offender. Legislators feared making any changes

because an opponent would label them as "soft on crime." Budget

woes and voter concerns about the economy and deficits is making

it more likely that guidelines will soon be changed.

Research has shown that some alternatives work well and do not involve

the costs of incarceration. The odds are that more of these will be

considered in the months to come and be more acceptable to the

public.

What do you think of changes made because of the budget deficit?