NCJ Number
130972
Date Published
1991
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This evaluation examines how Illinois bill HB3838, which provides for supplemental meritorious good time (SMGT) for inmates, has impacted prison crowding and costs.
Abstract
The SMGT program established by the bill expands the impact of the early release program by doubling the sentence-reduction period previously offered to eligible inmates. The evaluation reveals total compliance with the legislative intent and rigorous administration of the program. Accrued savings in the marginal cost of operating the Illinois prison system are estimated to be $4,713,638 during the 1991 fiscal year. The SMGT program apparently has had a small impact on public safety. Only 1.4 percent of the 2,226 inmates released during the first 4 months of program operation were returned to prison during their SMGT release period. The study concludes that the SMGT program is a cost-effective and safe method for controlling prison population growth. The evaluators recommend that the program be retained. The evaluation advises, however, that the SMGT program will not eliminate the need to construct an additional 24,000 prison beds by the year 2000. 9 tables and 7 figures