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Alabama
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The governor sent the budget back to the legislature asking for $4.2 million to be restored to the Department of Corrections' budget. The legislature has since overrode the governor's changes leaving the Dept. of Corrections Commissioner stating that the department is $14 million short to maintain operations at current levels.
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Post-enactment of the budget, the governor’s administration has told most non-education state agencies, including the court system, that they will get 9% less money than appropriated for the first nine months of FY 2010. The state Supreme Court Chief Justice indicated that 500 to 600 state court workers would be laid off to attain that level of cut.
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Alaska
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Arizona
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Enacted corrections budget includes the state selling the rights to operate some of its prisons. Private, for-profit prison operators will bid for the right to manage selected facilities, but the state will maintain ownership. The concession agreement is expected to generate about $100 million.
Post-enactment of the budget, in December the governor will implement a plan beginning January2010 to transfer convicted illegal immigrants to federal custody for the last three months of their sentences. The move is estimated to save the state $5.7 million over the next two years.
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Arkansas
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Post-enactment of the budget, the governor has ordered across-the-board cuts, including a cut of $9.1 million from the Department of Corrections. The Board of Correction has voted to cut the state prison budget by not filling open positions, reducing its supplies and delaying the expansion of a unit for prisoners with special needs.
Post-enactment of the budget, the governor has ordered across-the-board budget cuts, including a $3.6 million cut to the Department of Corrections
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California
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Enacted budget cuts $1.2 billion from corrections and rehabilitation (CDCR) funding. Reductions include; cutting substance abuse, educational and vocational training programs by more than a third. CDCR is streamlining substance abuse treatment from the current 6-36 months to three months. CDCR estimates that 600-900 employees will be laid off.
Legislature passed a bill that implements $1 billion of cuts to the state’s corrections system. The enacted measure will reduce supervision of low-level offenders on parole. The measure will also allow some offenders to earn shorter terms by completing rehabilitation programs. Under the measure the prison population will fall by 20,000 to 25,000 over 2 years. Additionally with the adopted plan, up to 8,500 noncitizen felons will be turned over to federal authorities for deportation, some offenders will be allowed to serve time in local jails rather than in state prisons, and some inmates will be allowed to earn up to 6 additional weeks in sentencing credits for completing education, vocation, or rehabilitation programs in prison. Update 11/13/09: A panel of federal judges has rejected this plan saying it didn’t go far enough to reduce overcrowding by the targeted 40, 000. The governor indicated he will submit a new plan.
Failed: Assembly had passed a plan to enact the corrections funding cuts by reducing parole supervision for low-level offenders and give inmates six weeks off prison terms for completing rehabilitation programs. Under the bill, about 27,000 inmates would be released this year, offering credit for time served if inmates participate in rehabilitation programs. The plan would also reduce supervision for some parolees in favor of increasing supervision of the most violent offenders.
Failed: The Senate had approved a bill that would reduce the prison population by 37,000 inmates. Under the legislation, nonviolent elderly and sick inmates would be permitted to finish their sentences in homes or community hospitals, where they would be monitored by GPS devices. Under the Senate plan, parolees who committed lower-level crimes would no longer be sent back to prison for parole violations. This proposal would also change some property crimes that now qualify as felonies to misdemeanors. Petty thefts, writing bad checks and receiving stolen property would no longer be classified as felonies. Additionally, stealing cars worth $2,500 or less could be charged as misdemeanors instead of an automatic felony. Certain felons who violate probation would be sent to county jails to serve time instead of sending them back to prisons.
Governor plans to use his authority to commute the sentences of some nonviolent illegal immigrant inmates and hand them over to federal authorities for deportation.
Governor has proposed not revoking paroles for former prisoners who had minor parole violations.
Governor has proposed shifting 23,000 state prisoners from state prisons to county jails over the next 3 years.
Governor has proposed the early-release of 19,000 nonviolent prisoners, including illegal immigrants to be turned over to federal custody.
The governor has additionally proposed commuting the sentences of 26,000 nonviolent offenders and releasing those 20 months earlier.
The February budget agreement implements an unallocated 10 percent reduction ($180 million) to the Receiver’s medical services budget. In addition, the Governor vetoed $400 million from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget.
The Governor has proposed eliminating or cutting many inmate service programs including drug abuse counseling and vocational education.
California will close three minimum-security prisons, operated by private operators, to save the state about $15 million per year.
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All California state courts will close one day a month (the third Wednesday every month) to save an estimated $85.4 million. In addition, judges will be asked to take voluntary furloughs of one day a month, resulting in a 4.62% pay cut.
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Colorado
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One prison has been closed and the opening of another has been delayed to save the state money.
Lawmakers have cut fees paid to private prison operators.
Post-enactment of the budget, the governor had called for reducing the state’s prison population by 1,000 over the next year, saving the state an estimated $19 million. Under the plan, as many as 3,100 inmates would be released six months earlier than their mandatory release dates. The governor intends to trim parole supervision for some inmates already out of prison, and to release some non-sex offender inmates early and placing them on parole.
Update 12/17/09: The parole board has granted early release to only 235 inmates and the savings projections have been reduced to $5 million.
Post-enactment of the budget, governor has proposed cutting 34 jobs which provide academic and vocational training as well as mental health and substance abuse programs for about 2,000 new inmates.
Post-enactment of the budget, the governor has cut $45.1 million from the Department of Corrections. However, the entire cut will be backfilled with ARRA funds.
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Connecticut
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Enacted budget cuts $63.4 million from the Department of Corrections over FY 2010 & FY 2011.
12/1/09 update: Following a governor directive to consider closing Webster Correctional Institution, the Dept. of Corrections recommended closing the facility which would save an estimated $ 3.4 million a year and not create layoffs. The governor is weighing the recommendation.
Failed: Lawmakers have proposed closing two unidentified state prisons, saving $70 million over the next two years.
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Enacted budget defers about $31 million in payments to the judges’ retirement fund over the next two years.
Enacted budget cuts of nearly $1 million for judicial branch programs, including domestic violence, legal, and children’s services in the courts of. The program that puts family-violence advocates into courthouses was cut by $270,000. The Children in Placement Program which provides court guardians for children involved in abuse and neglect cases was cut by $270,000.
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Delaware
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Florida
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Legislators have bolstered the state's drug court system, which routes drug users to treatment instead of prison. Legislators also postponed plans for $300 million in new prison construction.
Enacted budget includes a number of court fee increases such as a $505 increase in graduated filing fees for civil and family cases, a $115 increase in probate filing fees and an increase of $100 in filing fees for civil, non-family cases.
66 Parole and probation officers were laid off in January.
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The state has announced layoffs of 280 court workers, close to 10% of its 3,100 court employees.
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Georgia
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Georgia’s supreme court justices, and all other court staff, will voluntarily take three furlough days before the end of calendar year 2009. The court is also working to reduce its FY 2010 budget by 5%. The Court has closed its judicial library and is returning leased copy machines. Also the Court is giving up some office space, and it has cut two positions in the office that publishes Supreme Court decisions.
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Hawaii
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Governor ordered the closure of the Kulani Correctional Facility in October of 2009, saving an estimated $2.8 million per year. The union representing employees in the prison has sued the state; alleging that the closure was done in reprisal for earlier union legal actions that blocked the governor’s plans to furlough state employees.
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Final budget cuts over 20% from the judiciary's budget.
Hawaii Court System budget is to be reduced by $11.4 million or (7.6%).
In Oct., the State Supreme Court announced that state courts will be closed two Fridays a month beginning in Nov. 2009.
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Idaho
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Post-enactment of the budget, the governor has ordered spending holdbacks of 2.5% from the corrections budget.
Enacted budget cuts about $27 million, or 14%, from the Department of Corrections. The Department has eliminated 44 positions. All other workers will be required to take 4-12 furlough days in FY 2010.
Department of Corrections is saving money by bringing back Idaho inmates who are currently housed in other states. Placing the inmates in Idaho prisons will save the state $7 million per year. The Department of Corrections is also researching privatizing one of its own facilities to save money.
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Illinois
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Governor plans to eliminate 1000 positions at the Department of Corrections - nearly 10% of the department's work force.
Governor plans to release 1,000 inmates from prisons over several months in fall 2009 to save money. Those released will be low-level, non-violent offenders who are in the last year of their sentence. All those who qualify for early release will be fitted with electronic monitoring devices.
Probation funding was cut $36.5 million (44%) statewide. The governor restored $16 million of the cut. Now probation funding stands at $52.5 million, down from $65.1 million last year.
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Indiana
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Iowa
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Post-enactment of the budget, the governor ordered across-the-board budget cuts of 10%, resulting in a cut of $35.7 million from the Department of Corrections. This cut will result in the elimination of 262 vacant positions and the layoff of 515 employees from the Department of Corrections.
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Enacted bill will raise the cost of filing civil cases from $100 to $185. Small claims files will rise from $50 to $85. Fees for appeals and the criminal penalty surcharge will increase as well.
Post-enactment of the budget, the chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court has ordered a 10% cut in the judicial branch.
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Kansas
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Kansas has closed three detention facilities.
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In Nov., the State Supreme Court announced that it may have to shut down state courts for one week every month as a result of an $8 million judiciary budget deficit created by a legislative oversight.
Post-enactment of the budget, the governor announced an additional $3 million cut to the judicial branch, district courts employees are facing furloughs of at least five-weeks from February to June of 2010. The furloughs will not be officially instituted until the legislature reconvenes in an attempt to restore an estimated $5 million in funding and to resolve issues around scheduling enough employees to keep offices open and services available. The state attorney general's office will face $2 million in cuts.
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Kentucky
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Governor has signed a law sending hundreds of drug offenders into treatment instead of prison.
Kentucky officials have allowed for the early release of non-violent offenders up to six months before their sentences end. As of early September 2009, more than 3,000 inmates have been released early under the program.
Legislation enacted changes the way that the state counts time served. Now, if a parolee returns to prison for a technical violation, the time on parole is counted toward completion of their sentence. If a parolee commits another crime while on parole, the time between release on parole and committing the second crime is still not counted toward their sentence.
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Budget for the state's commonwealths attorneys' offices cut by 4%.
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Louisiana
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Maine
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Maine is no longer staffing the metal detector checkpoints at its local courthouses.
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Maryland
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Post-enactment of the budget, the Board of Public Works has approved closing a 350-inmate minimum-security prison in Jessup by March 2010 and also closing some units at correctional health facilities saving an estimated $12 million.
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Massachusetts
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Amidst pressure from officials in the judiciary, the legislature overrode the governor's vetoes and restored $3.3 million in funding to the trial court system.
Since July 2009, the trial court system has had to lay off 570 employees.
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Michigan
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Enacted budget cuts the FY 2010 corrections budget by $98.5 million.
The governor has issued an executive order to expedite the review of cuts by the proposal of accelerating parole for more than 3,500 inmates who had served more than their minimum sentences. Additionally, 1,000 corrections positions are targeted for elimination.
House lawmakers approved a bill that will revise the eligibility criteria to participate in community corrections programs. The measure will make more criminals eligible to stay out of prison and instead serve alternative sentences.
The state has closed three prisons and five prison camps.
Failed: Michigan and California were formulating an agreement to transfer roughly 1,300 prisoners to Michigan's Muskegon Correctional Facility, which is scheduled to close Oct. 1. The plan was designed to keep corrections employees working and offer placement of CA inmates. California would have paid inmate costs to transport them back to CA upon release.
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Minnesota
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Lawmakers have passed a bill cutting $66 million from the corrections department and also eliminating minimum offenses for felony drunk drivers, some drug offenses, and for predatory offenders who fail to register with authorities.
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Mississippi
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Post-enactment of the budget, the governor ordered $8.3 million cut from the Dept. of Corrections. In December, the governor ordered an additional post-enactment budget cut of some $3.2 million, forcing reductions in overtime and revising bed management options for inmates.
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Missouri
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The state court system anticipates “releasing back” to the state $3 million in allocated funding to help ease the state’s budget shortfall.
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Montana
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Nebraska
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Nevada
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Lawmakers considered, but did not pass, changes to the state's parole system. The proposed changes would have changed the current system of considering the severity of an inmate's crime as a major factor in parole decisions. The proposal would have also shifted the decision to release inmates, with low-level felonies, to the state Department of Corrections Director. The changes would have increased the number of inmates released early.
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New Hampshire
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Governor has proposed moving about 200 inmates to supervised release.
Lawmakers are considering the rapid REPAT program to release and deport qualifying, non-violent aliens.
Enacted measure closed one prison and laid off 97 corrections positions.
Habitual motor vehicle offenders (except drunk drivers) will be placed in home confinement rather than prisons.
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Enacted budget closes district courts in Hillsborough, New London, Plaistow, Hooksett, and Keene.
The State has postponed filling 7 of the state's 59 vacant judgeships.
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New Jersey
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State officials plan to close one prison by June.
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New Mexico
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Post-enactment of the budget, in a special session, the legislature cut the Corrections Department budget by 7% or $21 million. Corrections officials have indicated that they will likely have to close two prisons to attain those cuts.
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Enacted budget reduces state funding of the courts by 3.5%.
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New York
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Post-enactment of the budget, the governor ordered $69.3 million cut from the Department of Correctional Services.
The governor announced that seven prison annexes and three prison camps in upstate New York will close, eliminating 550 jobs.
Legislature passed an overhaul of the "Rockefeller drug laws" that imposed lengthy mandatory sentences on many nonviolent offenders.
Governor has proposed an expansion of the merit-time program that permits early release of eligible inmates, including violent felons. The proposal would allow for the release of those inmates six months before the completion of their minimum sentence. Those convicted of first-degree murder or sex crimes are not eligible.
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North Carolina
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Under the enacted budget, seven minimum-security prisons across the state will close. The closures will save about $22 million in FY 2010.
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North Dakota
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Ohio
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Enacted budget eliminates breakfast service in all prisons on Saturdays and Sundays. Inmates will be served the same amount of food during brunch and dinner as they had received in three meals, but the state will save on staff time and preparation costs.
Governor has proposed reducing the prison population by 6,736 to save taxpayers $28 million a year. The Governor wants to raise fines for felony theft from $500 to $750 and sentence those convicted of failing to pay child support to community programs which would allow them to work. The governor also proposes to increase the possible earned credit time for good behavior and eliminate mandatory prison sentences for those who fail to appear for one or two meetings with their parole officer.
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Oklahoma
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About 4,700 Dept. of Corrections employees will begin taking furloughs in March. Employees making $50,000 a year or more will take 12 furlough days between March and June. Employees making less than $50,000 a year will be required to take 10 furlough days.
The Dept. of Corrections has instituted an agricultural work program to offset the costs of feeding the inmate population. In FY2009 the measure has garnered $888,000 in profit via sales of agricultural products such as beef, firewood, and pecans.
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Oregon
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Lawmakers have proposed cutting state funding to the Department of Corrections by $77.8 million, or 9.3%, over the next two years.
Lawmakers passed HB 3508, which allows for the increased release of felons for good behavior. The bill was designed to partially account for increased prison costs expected to occur because of Measure 57, passed by voters in 2008, which mandates stricter prison sentences.
Enacted budget will suspend for 18 months, Measure 57, a bill that increases prison sentences for property and drug offenders.
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The chief justice has ordered all courts to close on Fridays through the end of FY 2009 and indicated that the closures could last through FY 2010.
The pay for 1,800 court workers was cut by 20%.
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Pennsylvania
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Failed: The Senate passed a bill that would send more drug offenders to treatment rather than prison.
Update 12/22/2009: The governor has sent 1000 inmates to Michigan as a measure to ease its overcrowding.
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Enacted budget cuts funding to the judicial branch by 10%.
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Puerto Rico
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Rhode Island
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Enacted budget imposes a $100 processing charge for criminals seeking to expunge their records.
The state’s probation and parole officers voted to accept pay concessions to avoid layoffs.
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South Carolina
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Post-enactment of the budget, across-the-board cuts of 4.4% have resulted in a $13 million cut to the corrections budget.
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House lawmakers are considering cutting $5 million from the judiciary.
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South Dakota
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3.3% cut from the budget of the Department of Corrections.
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3.3% cut from the budget of the courts.
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Tennessee
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Texas
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Gov. Perry vetoed a bill that would allow the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to determine if an inmate has successfully met rehabilitation qualifications.
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U. S. Virgin Islands
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Utah
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Enacted budget eliminates ongoing funding for the corrections transitions center which serves eligible parolees with various transitional services.
Reduced ongoing funds for Juvenile Justice Receiving Centers and reduced clinical services for juvenile offenders.
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Utah's Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has warned that court employees could soon be furloughed for 26 days in FY 2010 and 283 positions could be eliminated.
Court fees were increased.
Eliminated approximately $4,000,000 of ongoing general funds for the courts in personnel other program reductions.
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Vermont
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Failed: Plan to close a prison in St. Johnsbury was shelved by the legislature.
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A commission is studying ways to save money in the state’s court system. Proposals include consolidating courts in smaller counties and eliminating a large part of the work of side judges (non-lawyers who hear some cases and help administer the county-owned court buildings).
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Virginia
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Post-enactment of the budget, the governor has ordered the closure of 3 corrections facilities, including 2 older prisons and 1 juvenile facility. Related to these closures, the governor will be laying off 225 Department of Corrections’ employees. The governor will also cut state appropriations to local jails by about 7%.
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Washington
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Law enacted to study which parts of the state prison systems and juvenile detention system can be closed.
Enacted biennium budget cut funding by nearly $1.8 billion, or 6.7% from the previous biennium. These budget cuts led to the elimination of about 300 prison jobs and 200 community-corrections positions.
Enacted measure ends the supervision of nearly 10,000 ex-convicts on probation. It assesses the risk of the offender. Low-risk, non-sex offenders will no longer be supervised.
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Court fees were increased across-the-board.
Misdemeanor courts held a "Debt Reduction Program" to help those with suspended driver's licenses pay court fines and get privileges restored.
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West Virginia
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Wisconsin
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The governor signed into law 2009 Wisconsin Act 28 which allows certain low-level offenders to earn time off from their sentences. The act also provides $10 million to communities to reduce recidivism and ease the transition for prisoners. It also allows "low-risk" offenders to be released on supervision.
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Wyoming
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Key:
(N/A) = Not applicable
Source: NCSL survey of state legislative fiscal offices: June 2009 and November 2008. Various media and government outlets: January through December 2009.
This table is intended to provide general information and does not necessarily address all aspects of this topic. The table reflects in summary form information gathered from media sources and NCSL surveys of legislative fiscal offices. Please contact us at budget.revenue.updates@ncsl.org if you know of any additional information that should be reflected here or any errors that should be corrected.
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