Drug offenders inundate prisons

The number of people being sentenced to prison time for drug offenses has skyrocketed 903 percent since 1988, a report by the Utah Department of Corrections says.

The report was presented on Wednesday to the Legislature's Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee in response to questions lawmakers raised last month about the prison population.

"Drug crimes have increased 10 times. The other crimes have also grown, but not as dramatically," said Christine Mitchell, deputy director of the Utah Department of Corrections. "Today, if you're convicted of a drug crime, you're more likely to go to prison than 15 years ago."

Corrections officials said that in 1988 drug crimes made up only 16 percent of all prison commitments. In 2005, they reached 42 percent. One reason for this is more second- and third-degree felony drug offenders are getting sentenced to prison, the report said. The report also said the increase in drug offenders going to prison is because of stiffer penalties for crimes committed in drug-free zones, repeat violations and the preference of the courts for prison over probation.

Despite the high numbers, Utah has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the western United States, although it has tripled since 1982. Currently, there are about 6,240 people in prison in Utah. The report said the growth in prison population is determined to a large extent by policy decisions that have led to increased criminal penalties and increased prison time.

Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, said incarceration is deterring crime.

"When you're in jail, you're not committing a crime," he said Wednesday.

The Utah Department of Corrections said the number of illegal immigrants in prisons is not as high as believed. As of June 12, Utah had 322 noncitizen inmates serving time in prison for offenses like murder, child sex offenses, rape, robbery and other first-degree felony offenses. Of those, 260 had been identified by federal agents as having entered the country illegally.

"Less than 5 percent are illegal," Mitchell told the committee, adding that 32 countries are represented in the Utah State Prison system, with Mexican citizens accounting for 219 individuals. Vietnam has the second most, with 12.

The Utah Department of Corrections is claiming some success at keeping inmates from reoffending through a number of social programs offered in prison. Education, substance abuse counseling, sex offender treatment and job programs have led to decreases in reoffending.

Mitchell acknowledged there is trouble getting women inmates help to keep them from coming back to prison.

"We've expanded services offered to women," she said, adding that the Utah Department of Corrections has helped create a women's resource center for inmates to get employment, child care and victim issues resolved.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com