Posted October 25, 2007

Fiscal Analyst Seminar

September 4-7, 2007

Portland, Maine

State general fund support for corrections is budgeted to grow six percent in fiscal year 2007. In 18 states, corrections spending grew by at least ten percent in 2006. Driving this growth are states' choices on sentencing and release policies, residential population increases, and rising costs for correctional staff in inmate health care. Options before states to design and measure corrections and sentencing policies were discussed at NCSL's Fiscal Analyst Seminar earlier this year.

The criminal justice track of the Fiscal Analyst Seminar was sponsored by the Public Safety Performance Project of The Pew Charitable Trusts' Center on the States. The meeting was part of a partnership between NCSL's Criminal Justice Program and the Pew project to provide infomation to help state lawmakers and staff look at corrections and sentencing policies through a fiscal lens, and consider options that both protect the public and manage state spending.

The meeting included presentations on forecasts of prison populations and corrections, and factors that influence the size and growth rate of prision populations. Experts also discussed how cost-benefit analysis and performance measurement principles can be used in sentencing and corrections. Fiscal staff in several states discussed their state's experience in addressing growing prison populations and costs; and participants learned about "justice reinvestment" work in several states under the Pew Public Safety Performance Project. To view the speaker presentations, click on the links below.

Prison Populations and Price Tags

Adam Gelb, the project director for the Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Charitable Trusts provides an overview of the report "Public Safety, Public Spending: Forecasting America's Prison Population 2007-2011." He covers the increase in prison population growth and the cost that states have already experienced as well as a projection of population growth and costs through 2011. Presentation

What Drives State Prison Populations?

Dr. James Austin, from the JFA Institute, describes what drives prison populations. Dr. Austin covers various phases of the correctional system that can affect prison growth rates and provides national and state statistics and trends. Presentation

Designing and Measuring Corrections and Sentencing Policy Options

John Turcotte, the director of the Program Evaluation Division of the North Carolina General Assembly, provides an overview of performance measures for public policy. He presents a "right to left" process for creating efficient, effective, and economical policy and explains methods for creating the policies.
Presentation

Richard Ramsey, a senior fiscal analyst for the Senate Ways and Means Committee for the Washington State Senate, describes the Washington State's Institute of Public Policy's work on prison costs. Mr. Ramsey covers how the Legislature responded to the research. He concludes with implications for future policy and evaluation. Presentation

Rosemary Kooy, M.S., a corrections consultant, provides information on evidenced-based practices in criminal justice. She explains principles and research on the topic as well as trends in criminal justice reform. She concludes with guiding principles for evidenced-based practices. Presentation

Dr. Edwin Zedlewski, the scientific adviser to the director of the National Institute of Justice, presents the use of cost benefit analysis in criminal justice policy. Dr. Zedlewski explains how to create an effective cost benefit analysis within the criminal justice field and how to interpret a cost benefit analysis report. Presentation

Prison Growth and Cost Control: State Experiences

Marshall Clement, project director for the Justice Center of the Council of State Governments (CSG), presents the work that CSG has conducted in Kansas, Nevada and Texas. Mr. Clement also explains the Justice Reinvestment Strategy. Presentation

Brian Brown, a senior fiscal and policy analyst for the California Legislative Analysts Office, reports on California's experience with prison population growth. Trends in prison population and cost increases, policy proposals, the results of those proposals, and future implications are included in the presentation.
Presentation

Renada Peery-Galon, a senior fiscal analyst for the Legislative Finance Committee of the New Mexico Legislature, covers New Mexico's experience with prison growth. Mrs. Peery-Galon details the increase in prison costs and costs control methods that New Mexico is focusing on. Presentation

Criminal Justice Program

Visitor counts for this page.