The state is already strapped for cash, as the $1.4 billion in new taxes passed during the special session shows. So why would a Howard County Republican want to ensure the state spends more on prisoners in years to come?
Sen. Allan Kittleman, R-Howard, wants to restrict the market for goods produced by Maryland?s prisoners through Maryland Correctional Enterprises.
He opposes a proposed law to remove the ban on selling merchandise, including furniture, and providing certain services like data entry, to a portion of the generalpublic because he does not want their goods to compete with private enterprises.
Because killing the bill would restrict access to training programs for prisoners ? the same programs proven to help offenders who have served their time find jobs, re-enter society as taxpaying citizens and reduce their re-imprisonment rates ? it is a de facto way to maintain the state?s recidivism rate. The most recent study on recidivism shows that about 50 percent of Maryland prisoners released in 2001 returned to prison within three years. That high rate is not cheap. It costs Maryland taxpayers about $25,000 per year to keep someone in prison.
Second, MCE estimates that opening the market would only mean an extra $1 million per year on top of the $47 million it earned last year from selling to state agencies ? hardly a figure to scare private enterprise.
More importantly, restricting the program also tells offenders they can?t change.
We know that?s not true. And a lot more of the 9,000 ex-offenders who return to Baltimore City each year of the 15,000 released statewide would benefit from that message and the training to back it up.
Training prisoners is not just a feel-good idea. It?s good public policy and the only proven way to give offenders a real second chance based on teaching the value of hard work and self-reliance. As a conservative, Kittleman should be championing the training program, not trying to squash it.
