Probation Cuts In New Statewide Budget

MIDLAND -- A statewide budget proposal for probation services could cut funding in Midland by 22 percent. This could mean that low level offenders could be spending time in jail.

One of the services that could be in jeopardy provides counselings and GPS monitoring of sex offenders. It's a serious issue that Midland County is not taking lightly.

The county is afraid that with these proposed cuts, it will cause de-criminalization, where crimes once considered felony offenses will become misdemeanors. This is a tactic used to reduce jail populations and cut the number of people on probation.

Jed Davenport of the Midland Judicial District has a problem with that. He says it could put dangerous people back on the streets. As a resident of Midland, Davenport is concerned for the safety of the community.

"If you make these cuts, and there's this group of offenders that we know are going to re-offend, sure I live in this community and I could be a victim of a crime like everybody else, so sure I have concerns," said Davenport.

Cutting down on probation will also cause overcrowding of prison systems in the Basin. This would mean that instead of opting for probation, criminals might prefer to be put in jail, knowing that their stay will be shorter.

Davenport says cutting the services will also cost taxpayers more money in the long run. He says, for every dollar you cut from probation, you're going to spend $26.00. So multiply that by $186,000.

This is still proposed legislation. A final decision will be made in May.

Jackie Smith can reached via e-mail at jsmith@kmid.tv.