EDITORIAL: Criminal law changes could save money, people

The revisions aim to keep lower-level criminals out of the state prison system. Instead, they would serve their time in community-based programs that cost less and may be better for everyone.

Low-level drug offenders would be steered toward treatment instead of prison, aiming to help them with addiction or mental-health problems.

At the same time, the changes would keep serious criminals in prison longer. In addition to longer sentences, they would get less time off for good behavior.

At the end of 2013, Indiana’s prison system held 29,790 inmates — about 3 percent below full capacity. It costs an average of nearly $21,000 per year for each inmate, for a total expense of more than $500 million.

Along with saving money on each prisoner, state leaders hope to avoid building another prison at an estimated cost of $129 million.

Indiana’s prison system took in nearly 23,000 new inmates last year. The high turnover rate shows most prisoners have short-term stays.

Nearly 12,700 of the new inmates — more than half — committed the lowest level of felony crimes. That shows how much money could be saved by keeping many low-level criminals in local programs.

Approximately 10 percent of men and 17 percent of women entering prison last year committed low-level drug possession offenses. They also represent a major opportunity to take a new approach to punishment.

A couple of changes in state law should reduce the number of people convicted of dealing drugs, or at least reduce the severity of their crimes.

Until now, simply possessing a certain quantity of an illegal drug served as evidence that the person is a drug dealer. Now, a dealing conviction requires additional evidence that the person intended to sell the drug.

The changes also create a lower level of crime for people who sell very small quantities of an illegal drug.

To pay for the shift of people from state prisons, the Legislature is giving an additional $10 million to local corrections programs.

By March 1, 2015, the state prison system must report on how much money the new changes are saving. If the savings are enough, the Legislature could give even more money to community corrections programs and local probation departments.

Because many people agree that a prison is a “college for crime,” keeping people in community programs could reduce the number of repeat offenders. Instead of being cooped up with other criminals, low-level offenders would stay around friends and family members who could help them get back on positive paths.

Changes to Indiana’s criminal punishment ought to save tax dollars, but the most important result should be a better outcome for nonviolent offenders. They represent a human asset for Indiana, and making them productive citizens should be our No. 1 goal.