Friday, June 10, 2005
Contact: Spence Jackson, (573)751-0290
Blunt’s Directives to Department Of Corrections Save Considerable Taxpayer Dollars
JEFFERSON CITY—Governor Blunt’s responsible and long overdue directive for government to live within the means of the state’s taxpayers continues to add up to considerable savings for Missouri citizens. Under the Governor’s leadership, the Department of Corrections consolidated its inmate education services to save over $1.4 million while ensuring that every inmate to be released will still have the same access to education.
The Department has closed the academic schools at three of the state’s five maximum security institutions, the Jefferson City, Crossroads and Potosi Correctional Centers, a move that both improves efficiency and saves money. Education services will continue at the Department’s 17 other correctional institutions, prioritizing those services to inmates who will be impacting the public safety of Missouri communities through release from prison much sooner than those at maximum security prisons.
"Given the reality of the state’s limited resources, it is crucial that we identify practical measures that will continue to deliver services in the most cost-effective ways and I commend Director Larry Crawford for his actions," Blunt said. "The consolidation of inmate education services by our Department of Corrections is an excellent illustration of this process."
"Our plan to prioritize the department academic education resources maintains our commitment to offenders in this area, strengthening public safety," Blunt said. The result is that every one of the 30,000 inmates who have release dates will still have the same full access to education while state taxpayers realize a savings of $1,440,556.