Prison closures, furloughs, layoffs on tap under budget - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Prison closures, furloughs, layoffs on tap under budget

September 5, 2003

(Atlanta-AP) -- A budget adopted by the state Board of Corrections calls for prison closures, furloughs and layoffs. The $847million budget is $69 million less than the agency is spending now.

The board made the proposal in response to Governor Perdue's order to state agencies to show him where spending can be trimmed by seven and a half percent. But agency managers say they hope Perdue can find enough money elsewhere when he makes his budget recommendations in January to spare them from having to implement many of the cost-cutting steps.

Acting commissioner Alan Adams says the list is not final. Perdue is trying to manage state spending after two straight years of revenue declines. He will make his decision known in January when he presents an overall budget for state government to the Legislature.

The proposal adopted yesterday calls for the agency to close up to 15 operations, ranging from prisons to detention centers to boot camps, totaling up to 2,750 beds. That step alone would cost 784 jobs of the 1,200 jobs the department would have to shed.

posted at 9:55AM by dave.miller@walb.com