Indiana Governor Proposes Expansion for Existing Prisons

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Governor Mike Pence recently released a $51 million proposal to expand two existing prisons in the state, which was met with some serious criticism by government leaders in the Legislature.

Less than a year earlier, Pence changed prisoner-sentencing laws in order to reduce the amount of correctional spending and the need for more jail space. The House of Representatives questions whether or not the projected growth rate of prisoners in the state would be large enough, resulting in the possible expansion of the maximum-security prison, Miami Correctional Facility located in Peru, Ind., and the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility near Sullivan, Ind. The proposed expansion would result in three new housing units, adding 800 beds to the Wabash facility and two new housing units at the Miami facility, resulting in the addition of 512 new beds.

In order to decrease the prison population, the proposal would require inmates to serve a minimum of at least three quarters of their original sentence, that is, if they prove good behavior while incarcerated. Another hope that comes along with the proposal from Pence is to require low-level criminals, such as those involved with crimes that involve drugs or property, a chance to go to a rehabilitation program, work-release option or a probation program.

Nationally, Indiana is considered to have one of the largest numbers of maximum-security prisoners. According to Indiana Department of Corrections spokesman Doug Garrison, “We probably get 100 new lengthy sentence guys every year and a comparable number don’t leave. Our maximum-security population is going up and that’s why we have to build housing units for them.”

Many legislative officials have questioned Pence’s desired proposal, stating that it puts too much emphasis on the actual construction and addition to the existing prisons, and not enough on important items such as probation officers and drug rehabilitation programs.

Other House members have also expressed the desire to see the conviction side of the sentences, in particular how judges deal with the particular defendants, especially those who commit more low-level crimes. House of Representatives Republican Speaker Brian Bosma agrees that the state should get an increase in funding for the community correctional sphere, but believes that the Legislature will not fund the prison expansion. He stated that, “We are doing the greatly enhanced community corrections, in part because it is the right thing to do, but in part to avoid building another prison.”