Financial Contingency Planning: Sources of Funding in Hawai'i Corrections System

Financial Contingency Planning: Sources of Funding in Hawai 'i Corrections System The increasing population in prisons has called authorities to consider parole because this program reduces caseloads for the parole staff as with small amount of cases, it reduces the time utilized on nonviolent criminals and alternately spent more on the offenders with high public safety risk. In addition, the parole calls for state to provide staff with appropriate equipment and mandate that enables faster procedures that does not necessarily require return to court that can lead to imprisonment hence releasing population pressure in jails. In Arizona, there has been a 12 percent drop in the prisoner population from Hawai’i. Its prison population has decreased five percent since July 2012. The state’s criminal justice system implemented a risk assessment program for new inmates three days before their admission, has increased re-paroles numbers, and a statewide data collection program to track offenders while they transition through the system. Cutting corrections spending and directing the savings to decrease recidivism and increase public safety can be credited to justice re-investment. (Eagle, 2013). The Justice Center 's analysis of Hawaii 's criminal justice system found that, while crime, arrests and felony convictions had declined from 2000 to 2011, the jail and prison population rose 18 percent. That 's because more people were being denied parole, prisoners were being held longer, there was a lack of discretion in sentencing and there were longer probation terms. Presented with the data, the Hawaii Legislature passed legislation in 2012 based on JRI recommendations. The goal of freeing up prison space and saving money fit with Gov. Neil Abercrombie 's desire to bring Hawaii 's Arizona prisoners back home. As of 2011, almost one-third of Hawaii 's 6,073 inmates were imprisoned on the mainland; the figure has since dropped to around 1,700, with nearly 200 inmates having

References: Blair, C. (2013, March 29). Hawaii Prison Population Drops 5 Percent. Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved from http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2013/03/29/18708-hawaii-prison- population-drops-5-percent/ Brady, K., & Chesney-Lind, M. (2010, October 4). The Value of Hawaii: Prisons by Meda Chesney-Lind and Kat Brady. Honolulu Civil Beat, p. . Eagle, N. (2013, April 17). Hawaii Lawmakers Clear Way to Reopen Big Island Prison in Budget Talks. Honolulu Civil Beat. Retrieved from http://www.civilbeat.com/articles/2013/04/17/18854-hawaii-lawmakers-clear-way-to- reopen-big-island-prison-in-budget-talks/ Gupta, S., Schmitt, J., & Warner, K. (2010). The High Budgetary Cost of Incarceration. Washington, D.C.: Center for Economic and Policy Research. Pruning Prisons: How Cutting Corrections Can Save. (2009, May). Justice Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/09_05_rep_pruningprisons_a c_ps.pdf