State Prison Reform – Post SB500
Dennis Delay
NH Center for Public Policy Studies
“…to raise new ideas and improve policy debates through quality
information and analysis on issues shaping New Hampshire’s future.”
1
The Need to Reform – State
Prison Inmates Increasing
Offenders from Other
Jurisdictions
3000
2500
Total Population - 2,786
Secure Psych Unit and
Other NH Offenders
2000
1500
Non-violent Offenses
1000
500
Violent and Sex Offenses
0
Ju
lJa 97
n9
Ju 8
lJa 98
n9
Ju 9
lJa 99
n0
Ju 0
lJa 00
n0
Ju 1
lJa 01
n0
Ju 2
lJa 02
n0
Ju 3
lJa 03
n0
Ju 4
lJa 04
n0
Ju 5
lJa 05
n0
Ju 6
lJa 06
n0
Ju 7
lJa 07
n08
Number of Inmates
Drug Offenses
2
The Need to Reform –
Parole Violators Increasing
Parole Violators as % of Admissions (Current Year)
40%
36%
Share of All Admissions
35%
32%
30%
26%
25%
23%
23%
22%
35%
34%
31%
27%
22%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
FY1998 FY1999 FY2000 FY2001 FY2002 FY2003 FY2004 FY2005 FY2006 FY2007 FY2008 3
The Need to Reform –
Higher Corrections
Spending Expected
Actual and Projected State Prison System Expenditures
$140,000,000
$120,000,000
$100,000,000
$80,000,000
$60,000,000
$40,000,000
$20,000,000
11
20
10
20
09
20
08
20
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
20
19
99
$0
4
Corrections in NH After
SB500
• What were the goals of SB500?
• What were the changes made to SB500 in
SB52?
• Evidence of “cost shifting”?
• Changes to the inmate population, overall
prison costs, and the state crime rate, etc.
5
Goals of Justice
Reinvestment
• Reduce Inmate Population and Spending
on Corrections
• Reinvest savings in treatment and
sanction programs
• Increase public safety by reducing
recidivism.
• Findings presented in January 2010,
leading to SB500 legislation.
Source: Justice Reinvestment report to New Hampshire
6
Goals of SB500
• Focus community-based supervision resources on high-risk
offenders.
• Use short, swift and certain sanctions, including jail time, to reduce
crime and revocation rates among people sentenced to felony
probation.
• Establish an intermediate sanction program and a designated parole
revocation facility to respond more effectively to parole violations.
• Ensure that high-risk probationers and parolees with serious
addiction and/or mental health disorders are monitored with rapid
drug tests and have access to treatment programs.
• Ensure everyone leaving prison receives at least nine months of
post-release, community-based supervision.
• Reinforce truth-in-sentencing by requiring nonviolent, property, and
drug offenders to serve 100 to 120 percent of their minimum
sentence.
Source: NH Department of Corrections, June 2010
7
0
6/1/2012
5/1/2012
4/1/2012
3/1/2012
2/1/2012
1/1/2012
12/1/2011
11/1/2011
10/1/2011
9/1/2011
8/1/2011
7/1/2011
6/1/2011
5/1/2011
4/1/2011
3/1/2011
2/1/2011
1/1/2011
12/1/2010
11/1/2010
10/1/2010
9/1/2010
8/1/2010
1000
7/1/2010
1500
6/1/2010
2000
5/1/2010
4/1/2010
3/1/2010
2/1/2010
1/1/2010
12/1/2009
11/1/2009
10/1/2009
SB500 Corrections Reform
Lowered Number of
Inmates
NH State Prison Population by Major Offense
3500
3000
2500
Property
Personal
Other
Drugs Alcohol
Unknown
500
8
Fe
9
b09
M
ar
-0
Ap 9
rM 09
ay
-0
Ju 9
n0
Ju 9
l-0
Au 9
g0
Se 9
p0
O 9
ct
-0
N 9
ov
-0
D 9
ec
-0
Ja 9
n1
Fe 0
b1
M 0
ar
-1
Ap 0
rM 10
ay
-1
Ju 0
n1
Ju 0
l-1
Au 0
g1
Se 0
p1
O 0
ct
-1
N 0
ov
-1
D 0
ec
-1
Ja 0
n1
Fe 1
b1
M 1
ar
-1
Ap 1
rM 11
ay
-1
Ju 1
n11
n0
Ja
Parole Revocations Did Not
Change Post SB500
Parole Revocations as Percent of Prison Admissions
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
9
Fewer Inmates Did Create
Corrections Savings
New Hampshire State Prison Inmates and Total Expenditures
2,450
$120.0
Avg Number of Offenders
Total Expenditures
$100.0
Number of Inmates
2,400
$80.0
2,350
2,300
$60.0
2,250
$40.0
2,200
Expenditures in Millions
2,500
$20.0
2,150
2,100
$0.0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
10
Recidivism Rates Have
Been Declining!
700
600
Recidivism at NH State Prison
Inmates Returning After 3
Years
Recidivism Rate
49.6%
48.8%
60%
47.0%
44.2%
500
50%
43.6%
39.6%
40%
400
30%
300
20%
200
10%
100
0
0%
FY2003
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
Year of Release from Prison
FY2007
FY2008
11
State Prison Reform Did Not
Lead to More Crime
New Hampshire Offense Summary - State Totals
Violent Offenses
Property Offenses
Drug Offenses
Public Order Offenses (not incl DUI, liquor law, etc.)
All Offenses Total
2008
2009
2010
2011
19,276 19,372 20,026 18,786
46,776 47,087 47,643 47,142
5,609
6,254
6,566
6,304
638
675
656
642
72,299 73,388 74,891 72,874
12
County Jail Expenditures
Up Only Moderately
Corrections Expenditures in New Hampshire
$180,000,000
$160,000,000
$140,000,000
$120,000,000
$100,000,000
$80,000,000
$60,000,000
$40,000,000
$20,000,000
FY
19
FY 80
19
FY 85
19
FY 90
19
FY 95
19
FY 96
19
FY 97
19
FY 98
19
FY 99
20
FY 00
20
FY 01
20
FY 02
20
FY 03
20
FY 04
20
FY 05
20
FY 06
20
FY 07
20
FY 08
20
FY 09
20
FY 10
20
11
$0
County Total
Total State
13
Local Police Expenditures
Up Only Moderately
Year
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Spending per Resident for
Municipal Police (2011 dollars)
NH Cities NH Towns
Total NH
$209.68
$147.14
$167.51
$214.77
$154.55
$174.03
$223.72
$161.29
$181.36
$231.32
$165.12
$186.29
$233.42
$170.06
$190.18
$229.92
$172.07
$190.35
$232.35
$177.69
$194.90
$231.07
$177.75
$194.56
$227.01
$181.93
$196.13
$230.58
$185.91
$200.02
$229.72
$184.30
$198.64
14
2011 Reaction to SB500
• Violent offenders and sexual offenders
were released to parole (and community
supervision) nine months before the
expiration of their sentence.
• SB52 was enacted over public concern
that SB500 limited the ‘discretion’ of the
adult parole board, and the “high profile”
release of violent offenders.
15
Goals of SB52
• Excludes a prisoner convicted of a violent crime
or a sexually violent offense from mandatory
early supervised release if the parole board
votes to do so.
• Provides the parole board with greater discretion
to recommit a person who reoffends while on
mandatory early supervised release.
• Requires that an offender placed on probation or
parole for conviction of a felony offense that
would require registration as a sexual offender
or an offender against children shall not be
placed on administrative supervision.
16
SB52 Changes Have
Reversed the Trend
(Inmates Increasing Again)
New Hampshire State Prison Population
2,800
2,700
2,600
2,500
2,400
2,300
2,200
2,100
Jul10
Aug- Sep10
10
Oct10
Nov- Dec10
10
Jan11
Feb11
Mar11
Apr11
May11
Jun11
Jul11
Aug- Sep11
11
Oct11
Nov- Dec11
11
Jan12
Feb12
Mar12
Apr12
May12
Jun12
17
Releases Declined in Early
2012
NH State Prison Admissions and Releases - SB500 Era
250
200
Total Admissions-Prev
Month
Total Releases-Prev
Month
150
100
50
SB 500 Era
SB52 Era
0
Jul- Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul- Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun10 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12
18
Releases to Parole (90 Day
Supervision) Decline
NH State Prison Parole Releases by Type - SB500 Era
250
200
All Other Parole Releases
Parole (Discretionary)
End Detention-90 Days
End Detention-7 Day
End Detention-Pending PV
SB 500 Era
SB52 Era
150
100
50
0
Jul- Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul- Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun10
10
10
10
10
10
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
12
12
12
12
12
12
19
Summary
• SB500 enacted in July 2010 accomplished
its goals of reducing state prison inmate
population and bending the cost curve.
• SB52 enacted in Oct of 2011 caused
inmate population to increase again.
• Less savings from reduced state prison
inmate population could lead to less
“justice reinvestment”.
20