2,000 New Prison Beds Needed in Utah by 2014

None by KCPW

Utah's Prisons Near Maximum Capacity

Utah has the lowest incarceration rate in the western US, and the 8th lowest rate in the country. But the prison population is growing. Utah adds nearly 250 new prisoners per year, and hit maximum capacity in December 2005, with just over 60 thousand prisoners. Scott Carver, executive director of the Utah's Department of Corrections says the state needs to continue building prisons to keep up with the growth. Contrary to popular belief, Carver says the rising number of inmates is not due to increased crime rates or increases in state population. Instead, he blames longer prison sentences, the "war on drugs," and other "get tough on crime" policies. Based on current sentencing guidelines, population growth and crime rates, the state will need to add another 2,000 beds within the next eight years, with a price tag of around 150 million dollars, plus another 50 million in operating costs. But rather than throw money into more and larger prisons, Carver says the biggest bang for the taxpayer's buck is through treatment.

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