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Corrections budget reduction plan submitted to governor
For Immediate Release: November 16, 2001
The State of Oregon is projecting a budget shortfall this biennium. Oregon is constitutionally required to balance its budget each biennium, and cannot spend more money than it receives. The governor asked all state agencies to submit plans to him for various levels of administrative and program cuts totaling 10 percent of their General Fund budgets. The Department of Corrections’ target reduction, based on its Legislatively Adopted Budget, is $86 million.
“The instructions we received were to look at eliminating certain programs as a whole rather than nibbling away at successful programs in place,” said Corrections Director Dave Cook.. “Our budget was lean to begin with, meaning that there were few options available to us in terms of cost-cutting.
“We take our public safety responsibilities most seriously,” explained Mr. Cook. “From the beginning, we were determined to maintain effective prison programs that lead to the successful re-entry of inmates back into the community. Additionally, if you strip all programs and activities from the prisons, all that is left is warehousing of inmates. Historically this has proven unwise.”
With those guidelines in mind, the department’s proposed budget reduction plan includes a delay in opening two housing units at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, payment of debt service from prison construction savings, postponement of some hiring (including holding some vacant positions open), food cost reductions through spot buying, and implementation of other efficiencies suggested by superintendents and program managers. These reductions reach 7.6 percent of the total 10 percent required reductions.
“Beyond the 7.6 percent level, we had no choice but to recommend that most of our minimum custody prisons be closed,” said Mr. Cook.
Facility closures would be contingent upon on a law change to give the DOC director authority to release inmates early. The department would establish a pool of offenders based upon crime type and projected time to release. No Measure 11 offenders or others serving mandatory minimum sentences would be considered. In general, people convicted of statute crimes and property crimes might be released up to two years early, and people convicted of person-to-person crimes would be considered for early release when there are 18 months left in their sentences.
Depending upon the level of cuts needed, six existing facilities would close. In order, the closings would be:
Oregon Women’s Correctional Center (slated to become a men’s minimum next year), Salem - 176 beds
Mill Creek Correctional Facility, Salem - 310 beds
Santiam Correctional Institution, Salem - 390 beds
Powder River Correctional Facility, Baker City - 186 beds
Shutter Creek Correctional Institution, North Bend - 250 beds
South Fork Forest Camp, Tillamook - 150 beds
Approximately 300 staff would be affected by these closures.
The proposal adds money for the counties to supervise inmates who are released early.
“We clearly do not want to reach this level of reduction,” concluded Mr. Cook. “We will squeeze every nickel before we compromise the integrity of our prison system.”
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