WV Prisons in Crisis; Substance Abuse Prevention Solutions Brought Forward

The state's prison system is in crisis, West Virginia Public Broadcasting said in a report this week.

With a population that has quadrupled in 20 years, there is no space at the 14 correctional facilities and regional jails are filling in. And in the near future, the crisis will get even bigger. Projections call for 8,500 inmates by the end of 2010 and 10,300 in 2017, up from 6,500 today. Many of them are for nonviolent crimes like substance abuse and theft, WVPB said.

A governor-appointed commission is asking for shorter sentences for less offenses, along with better substance abuse programs to keep people from criminal activity.

"The commission proposes increased funding for the state's 13 comprehensive behavioral health centers, increased funding for the state's nine Opioid treatment programs, and the addition of four 20-bed detoxification units, eight 10-bed long-term substance abuse treatment programs, and two transitional living programs," WVPB said.