Commission releases findings on state’s prison system

February 3, 2010 by senatormcconnell

How long and how heavily should convicted offenders be punished? That’s the question a panel of lawmakers set out to answer nearly two years ago when the Sentencing Reform Commission first began their work.

If some lawmakers get their way, some inmates may be leaving prison early while others get longer sentences.

“We can not afford to build ourselves out of this problem,” said Darlington Sen. Gerald Malloy.

Malloy is talking about South Carolina’s Department of Corrections. He says that department’s budget is the fastest growing behind the state’s Medicaid program, and it’s time lawmakers do something to curb the growing prison population.

Fellow commission member Jake Knotts says that means making sure that prison cells are reserved for the most violent felons, while non-violent convicts are punished in other ways.

“We want to make sure the non-violent ones have a chance to be put on probation or sent to drug court or to be utilized in alternative sentencing,” said Knotts.

But that doesn’t mean letting everyone off easy. The commission also recommended some non-violent crimes be reclassified as violent. such crimes include sexual exploitation of a minor.

Laura Hudson with the South Carolina Crime Victims Council agrees with some of the commission’s findings.

“I was very pleased with some their recommendations to make some of our non-violent offenses violent,” said Hudson.

Sumter Rep. Murrell Smith says the key to making the recommendations work is for the punishment to fit the crime.

“We’ve gotten tough on those who commit violent crimes and leave victims in their wake and tried to find alternatives for those who can be salvaged and rehabilitated,” said Smith.

The commission’s findings are non-binding, but the senators plan to introduce a bill next week.