GLOBE EDITORIAL
A hard look at prisonsTHE BRUTAL murder of defrocked priest John Geoghan last year while in prison catalyzed a long-overdue examination of the state's correction system. An investigation by the Romney administration concluded that a culture of tolerance for abuse pervaded the Correction Department, and Governor Romney removed or reassigned several high-ranking officers, including the correction commissioner. Now a panel headed by former attorney general Scott Harshbarger has taken an even broader look, offering proposals to bring more transparency and accountability to the troubled system.
The Harshbarger report adds an important voice to a growing chorus for prison reform, an issue that has attracted little public interest for decades. Pressure is growing to develop a prison system that is not only more humane but smarter, more cost-effective, and safer for all citizens. Two key recommendations -- for an inspector general to investigate complaints about staff, inmates, or prison conditions and an external monitoring committee -- have the potential to remake the system. In addition to these structural changes, the report calls for a sweeping new mission for the Correction Department: better preparing offenders for their eventual release. The lack of literacy, skills, and education for prisoners within months of their return to the streets is shocking and contributes to the high rates of repeat offenses -- nearly 50 percent of released inmates are convicted of another crime within three years. "Often people are coming out more dangerous than when they went in," Harshbarger said in a meeting with the Globe. Even for those who are not "stepping down" toward release dates, drug and alcohol treatment and violence prevention training should be universally available. That only 3 percent of the Correction Department's nearly half-billion-dollar budget goes to programming indicates the low priority given to such crucial strategies. The report explains how more resources would be available for these programs if the department better managed its staff. No one begrudges prison guards, who do grueling work, overtime or sick leave. But state correction officers take an average of more than 10 weeks off a year. Reducing that to a still generous eight weeks off would save the department $12 million.
The report, eight months in the making, is fascinating reading. It describes how a combination of budget cuts, ideological rigidity, and official secrecy created an almost dysfunctional system. Romney seems to be taking it seriously, but much still needs to be done, including legislation to create the inspector general's post. Harshbarger's report must be a spur to useful change, not something that languishes largely unseen, like most of the state's 10,000 prison inmates. © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
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