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Cuts May Hobble Prisons

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By MIKE SALINERO

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Published: March 20, 2009

TALLAHASSEE - Florida's corrections system would have to close prisons and end education and substance abuse programs under a state budget scenario unveiled Thursday.

Walter McNeil, secretary of the Department of Corrections, shocked members of the state Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee with a report on how a 15 percent, across-the-board budget reduction would affect his department.

The Senate asked all state departments to conduct the budget-cutting exercise based on projections that next year's revenue will be short about $3.1 billion.

McNeil said a 15 percent cut would reduce department revenue by $342 million. Because more than 86 percent of the department's budget goes to security and health care, cuts that deep can't be achieved without closing prisons.

"A 15 percent cut can only be achieved by reducing our prison population," McNeil said.

McNeil said after the meeting that his department would not have to cut employees or close prisons under Gov. Charlie Crist's proposed budget.

The committee chairman, Republican Sen. Victor Crist of Tampa, said the governor's budget is based on overly optimistic revenue projections.

McNeil said the corrections department could cut about $25 million without endangering the public by reducing education and substance abuse programs in prison and making changes in health care. Pretrial intervention and probation-and-parole programs would also have to be cut.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303.

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