Budget may let inmates out early

April 12, 2002

BY PAT MILHIZER SUN-TIMES SPRINGFIELD BUREAU

SPRINGFIELD--The state's mounting budget deficit is so serious that Gov. Ryan Thursday proposed releasing 4,500 drug offenders from prisons early because the state no longer can afford to house or guard them.

That development came after Ryan huddled with the four legislative leaders to find ways to fill a $1.3 billion hole in this year's budget and begin crafting a spending plan for next year that is already $900 million below the levels Ryan proposed just weeks ago.

Amid all the red ink, one consensus that emerged from Thursday's closed door budget talks was that no one favors an election-year tax increase.

"Nobody's for raising taxes; everybody wants to cut,'' said Senate President James "Pate" Philip.

The idea of early release for nonviolent drug offenders who have less than seven months left on their prison terms is one indication of how desperate the situation is, Ryan says.

Though state corrections officials haven't worked out exactly which prisoners would be released, the Cook County state's attorney's office opposes releasing inmates as a cost-saving measure.

"We would hope that the governor and the Legislature will be able to work out a compromise that would make this measure unnecessary," said John Gorman, a spokesman for Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine. "Hundreds of judges across Illinois rendered these sentences based on the law, the facts of the case and the defendants' criminal histories. We believe those sentences should be carried out as ordered by the court.''

Ryan's office also said that with legislative approval, the state could take excess money from the $6 billion in investments by the state treasurer to pay off the bill backlog, which was announced last week exceeding $1 billion.

Steve Schnorf, the governor's budget director, said this measure would not hurt the state's credit rating.

"It's a responsible action that rating agencies understand, as long as we would not be using borrowing to fund permanent spending, as opposed to using it for short-term borrowing, they will understand,'' Schnorf said.

The governor repeatedly hammered down the point that he hasn't received any help from the General Assembly to balance the budget.

"We have to get serious about this,'' Ryan said. "You got to remember that this is an election year. Nobody is willing to step up to the plate at this time and make all the points that they want to make. So we may have to wait another week or 10 days. There's only like 17 days left in this session, so we'll see if we get down to some serious negotiations. That's what it's going to take.''

While the governor and legislative leaders talked about making cuts, rallying cries echoed in the Statehouse from elderly care providers from the Service Employees International Union Local 880, calling for Ryan to keep his budget promise for a $1 raise on their $5.15 hourly pay. Those raises would cost the state $20 million, but the union said it deserved higher wages for helping the elderly.

"What else do these senior citizens have to let them know they are human beings, that they still do count? Let them know that politicians still do care about them, that's all we're asking for,'' said Regina Hagerman, a union leader. "This is a little bit of help to let us know they care about us, they are thinking about us, they appreciate the work we do, and we are deserving of that.''