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Can Dewhurst's budget cut goals be met by closing TDCJ prison units?

To meet Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's budget-cut goals for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, reports Jason Embry at the Austin Statesman, "the state?s criminal justice division would need to trim $218 million. Where are the smart cuts there as the agency is still struggling to properly staff many state prisons?,? he recently asked.Actually, IMO Jason's question answers itself. Since TDCJ is "struggling to properly staff" its prisons, the "smart cuts" would come from reducing the number of prisoners and prison units in order to safely staff the ones that remain.As a thought experiment, what would be required to achieve Dewhurst's goal of saving $218 million per biennium at TDCJ if it came entirely from the institutional division? Looking at TDCJ's widely varying cost-per-prisoner at each unit (and excluding medical facilities whose high costs stem from the additional services provided), several older TDCJ units stand out as especially expensive:Jester 1, Richmond, 323 prisoners, built in 1885, prisoner cost per day: $71...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on December 23, 2009 (boomark / email).