Prison closures to cost state jobs

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. states facing budget deficits are closing prisons to save money, but the moves are costing communities jobs, local officials say.

USA Today reported Tuesday that Pew Center on the States statistics indicate $47 billion was spent by U.S. states on prisons in 2008, four times the amount spent in 1988. That has made prison budgets prime candidates for cuts in the current hard times as state officials have moved to increased the use of electronic monitoring and put more offenders on probation, the newspaper said.

It noted that in Michigan, three prisons and five prison camps are to be closed, but local officials claim it will cost their communities 1,000 jobs. In Vermont, plans to close a 122-bed prison in St. Johnsbury were put aside when concerns were raised about job losses in the northeastern corner of the state.

And in New York, USA Today said state officials plan to close three prison camps and seven prison annexes, saving $52 million over two years but costing 550 jobs in the northern part of the state, where the prison economy has been long established.