Thread: AZ Gov: Release some prisoners to cut costs

Gov: Release some prisoners to cut costs
by Associated Press and Kevin Tripp/KTAR (December 21st, 2009 @ 12:11pm)
Comments:20


PHOENIX -- Gov. Jan Brewer says Arizona's budget deficit could be reduced if many nonviolent illegal immigrants who are serving time in state prisons and thus costing the state millions of dollars were turned over to federal authorities for return to their homelands.

The release of those prisoners was one of several cost-cutting measures outlined by the governor at an emergency cabinet meeting Monday.

Following the meeting, Brewer made no mention of a temporary 1 percent sales tax increase which she has pushed to partially help wipe out a multi-million dollar budget deficit.

Brewer ordered the state's prison director to turn over non-violent criminal immigrants now in Arizona prisons to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since 2005, the state has made such releases. Eligible inmates typically were convicted of crimes ranging from drunken driving to lower-level drug charges.

State Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, agreed with Brewer's suggestion about releasing prisoners.

"It's always a tough decision to talk about releasing anybody," Pearce said, "But, you notice she stated non-violent, those eligible under current law for release."

House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Phoenix, said he still believes the sales tax increase needs to be passed.

"The Republicans in the Legislature are the only ones to date who have actually voted to increase revenues," Adams said.

While the governor did not specifically mention the tax increase Monday, Adams said he believes "the discussion of revenues needs to continue and will continue."

http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1245176

December 22, 2009
Arizona Prisons Plan to Transfer Illegal Immigrants to Federal Custody
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Desperate to save money, Arizona will transfer illegal immigrants who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes to federal custody for the last three months of their sentences, saving the state the cost of housing them.

Currently, prisoners who are not illegal immigrants are eligible to leave prison 90 days before their sentences end and begin community service. Under the new plan, which begins Jan. 1, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency will take custody of the illegal immigrants pending deportation. The Arizona Department of Corrections said that a total of more than 1,200 prisoners would be moved this fiscal year and next, saving about $5.7 million.

Gov. Jan Brewer called for the move in an address to senior members of her administration after the Legislature hammered out a plan over the weekend to cut nearly $200 million from the current budget to help close a $1.5 billion shortfall. Like many other Western states, Arizona has been hit disproportionately by the foreclosure crisis, halting the state’s economic growth.

Arizona also has some of the toughest sentencing laws in the country, and its prison costs are about $1 billion a year.

“The cost of incarcerating these criminals is not Arizona’s responsibility,â€