A new North Dakota policy that allows for earlier prison paroles could save the state millions of dollars, said Elaine Little, director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Department statistics show the new policy change could cut North Dakota's prison population by 45 percent in the next 10 years, saving the state $2 million during the 2003-2005 biennium alone.
Four months ago, the department, with input from Gov. John Hoeven's staff, developed a plan that allows early parole to inmates who have completed recommended treatment.
The state's inmate population fell from 1,192 in June, when the new policy began, to 1,160 at the end of August.
With early parole, inmates re-enter communities sooner, but remain on probation.
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"It's always much safer for a community to have an individual come back to the community with additional supervision," Little said Wednesday.
Cass County State's Attorney Birch Burdick has some concerns about the new policy.
"Generally speaking, as a prosecutor, I recognize they have certain constraints for housing inmates at the (state) penitentiary," Burdick said.
"My concern is that people pay an appropriate price for their crime."
The Legislative Council Corrections Committee hired Massachusetts-based Security Response Technologies Inc. to study the state's prison system. An SRT report showed the North Dakota Parole Board is the most restrictive in the nation.
Since 1990, North Dakota's prison population doubled while the number of inmates on parole has not increased. The consultants also found the rate of parole in North Dakota dropped from 43.5 percent in 1998 to 26.9 percent in 2001.
The study supports change, Little said. The early parole plan reverts back to a policy used by the parole board several years ago, she said.
Under the plan, inmates can be paroled an average of 120 days earlier than they could have been last year.
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"We would not be encouraging this if we thought we were endangering public safety," Little said.
But Cass County prosecutors would like to know more about the policy and how it is used.
"I don't know who is getting out and when," Burdick said. "We try to pick a sentence that is right for the crime, and the judge decides."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Steven P. Wagner at (701) 241-5542
