The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — We hope the Iowa Department of Corrections reconsiders its budget proposal for the 6th District. And, if it doesn’t, we hope state lawmakers will dig a little deeper before signing off on final disbursements.
The proposed departmental budget provided to the Legislature by state correction leaders requests funding for 58 new community-based positions in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 but earmarks none of those positions for the 6th District, which includes Linn, Johnson, Jones, Iowa, Benton and Tama counties.
The 6th District is the second largest of the state’s eight correctional service districts. A chart developed by local leaders shows it has the fourth-largest need of the eight correction districts for additional community-based corrections staff — in the middle of the pack.
Department of Corrections Director John Baldwin apparently takes a different view, telling a reporter the 6th District already receives more than its share of funding — about 17 percent of the community-based corrections budget while overseeing about 14 percent of offenders.
Baldwin insists past disagreements with former leadership in the 6th District has not influenced the proposed budget and that the staffing request isn’t personal.
Personal or not, we wonder whether the proposed budget really would disperse state dollars and resources according to actual need.
Fully funding the community-based correctional budget, in this and every district, has a direct effect on community safety.
Community correctional officers provide pretrial and presentence investigation services and oversee probation, parole and work release. They are key to the positive transition of former offenders back into society.
Their educational and treatment services are provided to individuals but directly affect all citizens in the regions they serve.
It’s in all our best interests to make sure criminal offenders are properly supervised and their reintegration goes smoothly.
In addition, state correctional leaders would do well to remember that local nearly always knows best. They are best positioned to know what programs are working and how many workers are required to run them successfully.
Yes, the state budget is tight, and wish lists must be trimmed, but we should all agree that matters involving public safety should be given top priority.