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Last updated 5:52 pm CT November 20, 2009.
Ready to Release Prisoners
Illinois spends more than $1 billion a year locking up more than 45,000 inmates. But once they're released it's up to Jason Garnett and his team of parole officers to keep an eye on them.
"Is it gonna add a couple extra parolees to the case load? Yes, it will, but it's not gonna be an extraordinary number, so I think it's something the department can definitely absorb," said Garnett, the Regional Supervisor for Parole Operations and Security with the Department of Corrections.
The Department of Corrections watches 30,000 recently paroled inmates. In the next few weeks, a thousand more will trade in bars and barbed wire for 24/7 ankle monitors.
"These people with some programs I believe could be productive citizens," said Garnett.
While Garnett has faith in the governor's plan, Eddie Caumiant, regional director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the union that represents prison guards, says the early release plan puts people at risk.
"The programs that many of these inmates need to become productive members of society (drug and substance abuse treatment for example) have seen major budgets cuts," said Caumiant. "Staff can't handle the caseload as is."
Half of all inmates released from prison return within three years but the D.O.C. says releasing drug offenders early and putting them in treatment programs will keep the parolees on the right path.
"Get them back in society, hopefully make them a productive citizen, possibly get them a job, save some taxpayers some money," said Garnett.
Releasing prisoners in hopes of saving money is nothing new. From 1989 to 2003 nearly 28,000 Illinois inmates were released early and put on ankle monitors.
By Ryan Kruger
rkruger@wsiltv.com
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