Adult correctional budgets, 2007-2008.(Survey Summary)

One year ago, Corrections Compendium conducted a similar survey on correctional budgets, the results of which appeared in the November/ December 2007 issue. Forty-five U.S. correctional systems responded to that survey, as well as three systems in Canada. The U.S. systems reported that their total correctional budgets had reached $37 billion. For the current survey, again, 45 U.S. systems and three in Canada provided information on their overall correctional budgets. It may not seem fathomable, but $44.6 billion was recorded for the reporting U.S. systems. While not tabulated within this survey, the information Canada provided is noted on each of the following tables.

More than $44 billion was used to house 1,188,125 offenders and monitor 1,789,793 parolees or probationers during 2007-2008. Last year, only Montana indicated that its budget had decreased; this year, it was Wyoming based on personnel and salary issues.

The systems were asked to break down their budgets into allocated cost categories that included administration, custody/security staff, inmate health care, institutional services, physical operations, community programs for their internal populations, community programs for external populations, correctional industries, parole, probation and construction (if included in their budgets). Because of the various processes used by the systems to determine the breakdown of allocations, it is not possible to offer true comparisons. Table 1 specifies approximate percentages of those costs as close to 100 percent as responding systems were able to determine. A number of the systems indicated a percentage of their budgets marked for unspecified categories. Other items specified were allocated for intake service centers, inmate wages, workers compensation, private prison contracts, employee training, local jurisdictions, farm program, equipment fund, federal surplus property, commissary funding, victim services, central distribution warehouse and inventory, jail inspections, interagency payments and, in New York, the Federal Criminal Alien Assistance Program.

Funding Sources

Seventeen of the reporting U.S. systems issue bonds for their proposed projects, while 12 of the systems indicate prior-year funds are included in their budget planning. The debt service of 18 of the systems is used primarily for construction, maintenance or renovation of their facilities. Repayment schedules are varied, ranging from one to 25 years as in Oregon, or 20 to 30 years, based on the type and date of purchase, as in California. Indiana specifically must repay debts prior to July 2022. Federal funds appear to be the predominate sources of other funding, along with state-generated funds. Vermont received a midyear increase due to an adjustment approved by its Legislature, while California was able to use correctional training funds and inmate welfare and special deposit funds.

New or Community Programs

Even with the increase in overall budgets, 29 of the reporting U.S. systems noted that no new programs were included in their operations. California is investing in its inmate population through risk and needs assessment and behavior-management planning, development skills and gender-responsive programs. Other new programs include fast-track carpentry and welding programs in Louisiana; a boot camp in Georgia; reentry centers in Nebraska, Nevada, Maine, Missouri and Oklahoma; and a driving while intoxicated (DWI) treatment effort in Texas.