Introduced Version
Senate Resolution 30 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 30
(By Senators Green, Laird, Foster, Unger, Plymale, Barnes,
Stollings, Jenkins, Chafin, Minard and Kessler)
Designating March 16, 2009, as "Corrections Day".
Whereas, It is the mission of the West Virginia Division of
Corrections to provide a safe, secure and humane correctional
system for the public, staff and offenders; and
Whereas, The adult correctional population continues to expand
and it is important for agency representatives and policymakers to
appreciate the nature and magnitude of the growth; and
Whereas, West Virginia was ranked 34th in the nation in 2007,
with an incarceration rate of 333 per 100,000 residents. Between
2000 and 2006, West Virginia had the fastest growing prison
population in the nation; and
Whereas, Commitments to the Division of Corrections grew by
21.9 percent in 2007, resulting in 3,449 new inmates. Parole
violators comprised a high of 14 percent of all new commitments in
2007; and
Whereas, In 2007, only 4.9 percent of all parole violators
were returning due to the commission of a new crime and in 2006
75.9 percent of new admissions were for nonviolent crimes; and
Whereas, As of December 2007, West Virginia's correctional
population was almost two and one-half times its size in 1995; and
Whereas, In 2007, property offenders comprised the largest
group of inmates confined in the total prison population at 19.2
percent; and
Whereas, Between 2000 and 2004, 37.1 percent of inmates were
released on parole compared to 51.5 percent between 2005 and 2007;
and
Whereas, Over half of all inmates released in 2007 were
granted parole, causing parole grant rates to increase by 9 percent
between 2006 and 2007; and
Whereas, West Virginia's correctional population is forecasted
to increase at an average annual growth rate of 5.6 percent over
the next decade. According to the forecast, the Division of
Corrections can expect to receive approximately 430 additional
inmates per year; and
Whereas, The correctional population is expected to reach
8,530 inmates in 2012 and 10,304 in 2017; and
Whereas, The information provided in this resolution will
assist public officials and agency representatives in planning for
the future and developing policies for the management of the West
Virginia correctional population as well as providing adequate pay,
benefits and a safe workplace for the employees in the correctional
system; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That the Senate hereby designates March 16, 2009, as "Corrections Day"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Senate hereby recognizes the
exceptional service and commitment of the employees of the Division
of Corrections; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward
a copy of this resolution to the appropriate officials of the
Division of Corrections.