State could save millions by paroling people

To the editor:

Prison overcrowding is self-inflicted by the Alaska Board of Parole, costing the state unnecessary millions of dollars for years.

The board is not releasing offenders who have served the required amount of time by law to be considered for release and have completed all their reformative programming ordered by the court and law to rehabilitate the offender into a productive non-criminal member of society.

Currently, it costs the state of Alaska Department of Corrections approximately $154 to $158.67 a day, or $56,000 to $58,000 a year, to incarcerate one prisoner, according to Richard Schmitz, special assistant to the DOC commissioner.

Using the above figures, $1 million will be saved for every 17.24 prisoners released from incarceration and $10 million will be saved for every 172.41 prisoners released from incarceration.

Not releasing these offenders has already cost the state of Alaska unnecessary millions for years. There are at least a few hundred offenders who qualify for release now. Releasing those who qualify will save the state more than $10 million now.

J. Steven Stoneking

Wildwood Correctional Complex

Kenai