Governor Napolitano says she wants to deal with prison overcrowding in the short term by adding about 1,600 temporary beds immediately and beginning a $705 million program of construction for an additional 9,134 permanent beds at existing prisons.

She will be seeking legislative approval of this plan during a special session she called for Oct. 20. It is one of six items on the session agenda.

For the long term, Ms. Napolitano said the state needs to look at alternative sentencing, such as intensive probation, as a means of slowing the growth of the inmate population, which the state Department of Corrections projects could exceed 40,500 by 2008.

The temporary beds will cost about $13.8 million during fiscal 2004, and the nearly $705 million cost of the permanent beds will be spread over the next 15 years, as the governor envisions the program.

She will be seeking supplemental appropriations from the general fund of $17.4 million and from the corrections fund of $9 million.

“The number one problem we have is overcrowding,” Ms. Napolitano said during an Oct. 1 press conference on her prison plan. “We must address it before it becomes a crisis. We have inmates sleeping in day rooms, in hallways and on mattresses on the floor.”

She said conditions are unsafe for both inmates and correctional officers.

“The prisons need this help now,” she said.

A Deficit Of 4,167 Beds

At the end of August, Arizona Department of Corrections officials said the inmate population in the prison system totaled 31,095 while the system’s capacity was 26,928 — meaning a deficit of 4,167 beds.

She complimented the work being done by the House Alternatives to Sentencing Work Group and its chairman, Rep. Bill Konopnicki, R-Dist. 5, but she said any proposals the group might have should be saved for the regular session, which begins in January.

Mr. Konopnicki and some members of his work group met with Ms. Napolitano before her press conference.

“The approaches Representative Konopnicki and his working group are looking at are more appropriately addressed in the regular session,” said Ms. Napolitano.

In addition to the 1,600 temporary beds, which Ms. Napolitano said should be phased out in two or three years as permanent beds become available through her construction program, the governor said she intends to proceed with plans for a 1,400-bed private facility near Kingman and to establish contracts with Navajo and Pinal counties to use their jails.

The state currently has a contract with Coconino County for 88 beds.

Negotiations on the Kingman facility have not been going as expeditiously as expected, and Sen. Robert Burns, R-Dist. 9, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to Attorney General Terry Goddard asking why.

Mr. Burns requested that Mr. Goddard, whose office is involved in the negotiations, make a response to the Joint Committee on Capital Review, which Mr. Burns also chairs, at its Sept. 25 meeting. At the meeting, Mr. Burns simply told committee members that talks between the state and the private developer were progressing.

After the meeting, he said he had learned that several facets of the project had changed, delaying a final agreement.

However, the Kingman facility may be the final private prison built during Ms. Napolitano’s watch. She has been critical of private prisons and announced she will not pursue the construction of a private prison for women planned for Marana.

A reporter asked why she is proceeding with the Kingman facility if she was so opposed to private prisons.

Ms. Napolitano responded, “The contract was already awarded when I came into office.”

The new construction would involve additions to and remodeling of existing prisons. There would be no new prisons.

First Beds Available In June 2004

She said the first beds would probably become available in June 2004.

In addition to providing funds for beds, the supplemental appropriations would also include financial incentives for hiring correctional officers and contributions for state retirement and health care premiums.

House Republican Majority Leader Eddie Farnsworth, R-Dist. 22, said that like the other major issue in the session call, Child Protective Services, he feels the prison construction issue more properly belongs in the regular session, which convenes in January.

Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Dist. 18, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said the governor had completely ignored a legislative suggestion that private prisons would save the state money.

“Her vetoes cost the state $100 million,” Mr. Pearce said, referring to the governor’s line-item vetoes of budget reductions, which the GOP legislative leadership has challenged in court. “We’re overspent and overextended.”

Mr. Pearce’s Senate counterpart, Mr. Burns, added, “We’re in a tight budget situation and need to proceed with caution.”

House Speaker Jake Flake, R-Dist. 5, said Ms. Napolitano is forging ahead with no consensus among legislators on her proposals. He predicted a contentious and possibly lengthy session.

Rep. John Loredo, D-Dist. 13, House minority leader, stood behind the governor and said of the Corrections Department, “Got to fund it.” —