Initiative aims to cut Indiana prison costs

Indiana officials hope a new comprehensive review of the state's criminal code and sentencing policies will help save
taxpayer money and keep former inmates from returning to prison.

The state is working with the Pew Center on the States and the Council of State Governments' Justice Center to find ways
to better manage Indiana's prison population. Gov. Mitch Daniels, Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard and Republican
and Democratic legislators gathered Monday to announce the project—the first such study since 1976.

"Having more dangerous and repeat offending criminals in prison is the best way to protect Hoosiers," Daniels said,
"but if our current laws and practices result in non-dangerous offenders taking up space at high cost to taxpayers, there
may be better ways to manage that."

Since 1976, the number of adult inmates has grown from 7,500 to nearly 29,000 now. Indiana's prison population is expected
to be more than 30,000 by next year, and the state's current two-year budget includes more than $1.3 billion for corrections.

"The fundamental premise here is that prisons are government spending programs," said Adam Gelb, director of the
Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center on the States. "Just like any government spending program, be it
education or health care, it needs to be put to the cost-benefit test. Are we getting the best return possible on our public
safety dollars?"

Gelb said the center will collect and analyze data on the state's sentencing laws and prison population and then work
with a committee from Indiana's legislative, executive and judicial branches to come up with new solutions. The third
phase will be implementing new approaches and making sure they work, he said.

Since the last such study, lawmakers have made hundreds of changes to Indiana's criminal code and policies.

The study will include evaluations of parole policies, sentencing rules, community corrections and follow-up programs for
former inmates. Officials hope the project will lead to recommendations that the General Assembly could take up during its
session, which begins in January.

"It is always helpful to have a fresh perspective from someone outside the state that can more objectively assess our
system, but we will be the ones who must ultimately decide what will work best in Indiana," said Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington.

Those conducting the study have no preconceived notions of what Indiana needs, Gelb said.

But officials could start by looking at areas where Indiana sticks out. From Dec. 31, 2001 to Dec. 31, 2008, the average
nationwide increase in the parole population was 12 percent, but Indiana's parole population soared 116 percent during
that time.

Indiana also has a large number of offenders serving very short periods of time. Last year about 1,300 inmates served prison
terms of 30 days or less, which the Daniels administration says costs taxpayers a lot of money without providing substantially
increased protection.

Daniels said he's keeping an open mind on the study's findings. When asked whether that meant everything was on the
table—including legalizing marijuana—Daniels laughed.

"We don't like to constrain our advisers," Daniels said. "I guess I wouldn't expect that. Everything
is very evidence based. Within reason, we'll listen to any suggestion."

The state's share of the study cost is $100,000, with money coming from federal grants through the Indiana Criminal Justice
Institute. The Pew Center will chip in $500,000 to $1 million, Daniels said.