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Crime Bill Pays $400 Million

Forty-nine states, the District of Columbia and three territories received over $400 million in October for fiscal year 1997 to help them build or expand correctional facilities for adult or juvenile violent offenders.

Some of the biggest winners are: New York, with a total award of over $40 million; Ohio, over $13 million; Pennsylvania, over $14 million; Missouri, over $9 million; and Illinois, over $8 million. The money was awarded by the Department of Justice.

CO Ernie Conner, a member of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA)/AFSCME Local 11 and of the ACU Advisory Committee, says, "Overcrowding is absolutely an issue in Ohio. I don’t totally agree with the truth-in-sentencing law [but] I’d like to see that money used for increasing staffing, to ensure that when it’s time to go home, the employees go home."

Though funds distributed under these programs can only be used for construction, an Ohio Department of Corrections spokesperson says, "Showing that we’re able to get these funds for federal construction may help us when we go to get more money [from the legislature for increased staffing]."

The funding is provided by programs created under the 1994 Crime Bill, which AFSCME played a key role in passing, according to AFSCME’s Director of Legislation Charles Loveless.

Over $235 million was awarded under the Truth-in-Sentencing Incentive Program to the 27 states where sentencing reform has been enacted to ensure that violent offenders serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.

Over $121 million was awarded under Tier Two of the Violent Offender Incarceration Program to the 49 states that since 1993 have increased the percentage of persons arrested for certain violent crimes who are sentenced to prison, increased actual prison time served or increased the average percentage of sentences served by violent offenders.

For further information, call the Office of Justice Programs at (202) 307-0703 or visit the Corrections Program Office on the Web.

 

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