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1 Charles B. DeWitt, Ohio's New Approach to Prison and Jail Financing 1 (1986)

handle is hein.death/ohpjf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice National Institute Construction Bulletin of Justice November 1986 Ohio's New Approach to Prison and Jail Financing By Charles B. DeWitt The problem State institutions are under construc- The cost of the current effort is esti- There has never been a greater need tion across the Nation. When renova- mated at more than $2.6 billion, and for financing construction of correc- tions are included, a total of 51,932 an additional 61,934 bedspaces are tional facilities. A national survey bedspaces are now being added to the being planned for construction in the conducted in 1986 shows that 141 new capacity of America's prisons, immediate future.' From the Director Responding to the need voiced by prac- built since 1978. The National Institute titioners and the policy statements of also maintains, at our National Crimi- The dilemma of too many serious the Attorney General, the National nal Justice Reference Service, a crimes with injured victims and not Institute of Justice has launched a new computerized data base on corrections enough space to incarcerate convicted corrections construction initiative to construction. Through this Construc- criminals is a major domestic policy help State and local officials make tion Information Exchange, those issue. Convicted violent and repeat informed decisions on building or ex- planning to build or expand facilities serious offenders have contributed to panding facilities. The program was are put in touch with officials in other swelling prison and jail populations, announced by the Attorney General at jurisdictions who have successfully which outstrip capacity in many juris- the National Sheriffs' Association 1986 used more efficient building dictions. Given today's fiscal pres- Criminal Justice Symposium. techniques. sures, policymakers face difficult choices. Building and operating prisons The Construction Bulletin series is Surveys indicate that an estimated 95 are extremely costly. But the price of designed to share information on percent of those in prison in 1979 were not expanding capacity also has expen- advanced techniques that hold the repeat or violent offenders. We know sive consequences: increased victims potential for saving both time and from research that repeat offenders are of crime and its attendant fear. money in the construction of safe responsible for a large portion of the The gravity of the problem is recog- and secure facilities, serious crime that plagues our com- munities. We also know that prisons nized by officials throughout the crim- This particular Bulletin focuses on do work: while in prison an offender inal justice system. In fact, when the alternatives to traditional municipal cannot commit additional crimes National Institute of Justice asked crim- bonds as a method for raising the against innocent victims. If we can inal justice officials to name the most money for new construction. Our case drive down the excessive costs of build- serious problem facing the system, study is Ohio, where $79 million in ing-and of financing those costs- police, courts, and corrections officials lease-purchase securities were sold to State and local officials will be in a reached a virtually unanimous consen- finance prison construction and, later, better position to provide the additional sus: prison and jail crowding is the another $25 million for county jails jail and prison space they need to in- number one concern. across the State. capacitate those who victimize again Attorney General Edwin Meese III has and again. spoken out repeatedly on the dimen- In addition to the Bulletins, the Na- sions of the crisis and the need to help tional Institute of Justice has published State and local jurisdictions find less a National Directory of Corrections costly ways to increase corrections Construction, based on the results of a capacity so convicted serious criminals national survey, which provides a James K. Stewart are prevented from preying on people, wealth of information on construction Director communities, and our economy. methods and costs for jails and prisons National Institute of Justice

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