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IA: Number of prisoners decreases but of course spending is up

By Real Cost of Prisons Project (The Sentencing Project)

Fewer People Packed Into Iowa Prisons July 2, 2008 CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The number of inmates in Iowa prisons is down, due in part to a drop in the number of prison terms and fewer offenders returning for parole or probation violations. As of Monday, which marked the end of fiscal 2008, the state prisons housed 8,740 inmates. That's down 66 from the year before and marks only the third annual decline in 12 years. Department of Corrections Director John Baldwin said it's difficult to tell if Iowans were committing fewer major crimes, the drop was related to plea bargains or if other factors were involved. Iowa's prison system has a designed capacity of 7,414 beds. This year, the Legislature approved $130 million for prison construction.That includes replacing the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison and upgrading the women's prison at Mitchellville...continue to full post

Full post as published by The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog on July 05, 2008 (boomark / email).