Breathtaking Joliet Prison in Joliet, Illinois

Here is one partial solution to states with no money  — release prisoners early.  The Chicago Tribune’s Megan Twohey reports that Illinois will save $1 billion by releasing 1,000 inmates who were imprisoned for non-violent crimes. The prisoners will then be electronically monitored by state parole agents.

One problem with this strategy is what exactly the prisoners will do when paroled — it is hard to find a job in Illinois, which has a double-digit unemployment rate. Also, prisoners might not get the attention they need to successfully re-integrate into society — Twohey reports that they are already waiting lists at cash-strapped substance abuse and mental health counseling centers. The problem of prisoners re-joining society is not unique to the recession — already, half of the inmates who leave Illinois prison return in three years. But cuts in the state’s Dept. of Health budget could eventually lead to another increase in Dept. of Corrections spending.

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