032317 Week 12 Report, Rep. Rick Holman, ND District 20

There’s chatter going around that we are going to try being done by Tuesday, April 18th. This year seems different, so an early session end may be possible.

This week was devoted to a detailed analysis of the Corrections budget. This had us examining services and facilities in in several locations with different levels of incarceration and restrictions. The total state expenditure for corrections is $250 million dollars. We need to make sure that the money is spent with the greatest benefit to the citizens of our state.

The North Dakota State Prison (NDSP) in Bismarck, provides maximum security. It houses 750 men who have been convicted of more serious crimes.  Prisoners at all state facilities receive medical care including mental health treatment when necessary, as well as education for those who need their skill level improved before they return to society. The average daily cost for an individual at NDSP is $115 per day or about $42,000 per year. In Jamestown, on the same campus as the State Hospital, the James River Correctional Center (JRCC) houses 437 men in medium security at a daily cost of $121 or $44,000 per year. Jamestown is also the location and treatment center for convicted sex offenders.  A third facility for adult men in south Bismarck is the Missouri River Correctional Facility (MRCC). It houses men who often are able to work off site in the Bismarck area. The security issues are lower here so the cost is lower, $89 per day or $32,000 per year.

The Dakota Women’s Correctional and Rehabilitation (DWCRC) facility is in New England. This former Catholic boarding school has been modified to provide restricted housing for 130 adult women. The daily cost for this contract housing is $130 or $47,000 per person, per year. A problem with this unit is the location since for many of the inmates home and family is 250 miles away.

On Friday, we looked at the Youth Correctional Facility (YCC) in Mandan houses which houses 50 boys at varying levels of security. Efforts are being made to house even less boys by keeping juvenile offenders in a community setting. There are 8 regional locations throughout the state for this. The total cost for taking care of juvenile offenders is about $25 million.

There are 8000 men and women on supervised probation, many supported in transitional housing until they are ready to be released unsupervised. This part of the corrections program employs 110 officers and costs $33 million.

The costs for keeping someone in prison is huge. Evidence shows that counseling, education, and job training can insure that those released in to society do not re-offend and return. During the last interim a study on Alternatives to Incarceration worked to find ways to decrease the number of persons  isolated in a prison setting, taking them away from their families and work. With help from the legislature, the Council of State Governments (CSG), and involved communities, plans are being forwarded to use treatment combined with incarceration. Additionally, since a large number of people entering prison do not have a high school degree, increased efforts are being made to help them get their GED before they are released. Keeping people out of jail while monitoring them in their home community and providing them with educational opportunities is a win-win situation. The person wins, the community wins, and the state and county wins with reduced numbers in prison or jail, reducing costs.

Proposed legislation would allow the state to assess the accused person before sentencing and share that information with the judge, allowing the judge and others to develop a plan for the person, with some going to prison as before and some put in to supervised probation. In all cases, monitoring, treatment and follow-up are an integral part of the process.

Rick Holman