Should Minnesota’s Corrections Budget Be Increased?

The passage of public safety legislation this week in the Senate (SF 802) and House (HF 1162) included a reduction of approximately $100 million of the base budgets across more than a dozen departments – the largest being a $34.2 million cut to the Department of Corrections.

However, the bill also includes a one-time federal appropriation of $38 million allocated to the Department of Corrections to bring the total public safety finance reduction down to $61.3 million (and a $3.6 million biennial base increase to Corrections).

The financial reductions to public safety by the DFL-controlled legislature cut against Governor Pawlenty’s stated priorities at the beginning of the session when he declared that public safety, along with the military and veterans and K-12 education, were the top priorities in his budget.

But while the United States stands out across the world for its large prison population and the billions of tax dollars spent annually on corrections expenditures, the cuts being made to Minnesota’s budget take place within the context of a state that is already spending the second lowest amount of money on corrections per capita in the country.

According to a Smart Politics analysis of US Census 2008 population estimates and corrections data compiled by the Pew Center on the States, Minnesota spent $460 million on corrections in 2008, or $88.12 per capita. That is the second lowest level of expenditures per capita in the country, ahead of only the state of New Hampshire ($76.76).

By comparison, Alaska spends $349.70 per capita on corrections, the most in the country, followed by California ($262.81) and Delaware ($229.07).

In the Upper Midwest, the neighboring state of Wisconsin spends more than twice as much per capita as the Gopher State on corrections, at $191.90 (#10 nationwide). Iowa ($117.57), North Dakota ($101.33), and South Dakota ($100.72) come in at #34, #41, and #42 in the nation respectively.

Corrections Expenditures Per Capita by State, 2008

Rank	State	Population	Cost (mill.)	Per capita
1	Alaska	686,293	$240	$349.70
2	California	36,756,666	$9,660	$262.81
3	Delaware	873,092	$200	$229.07
4	Michigan	10,003,422	$2,180	$217.93
5	Maryland	5,633,597	$1,190	$211.23
6	Oregon	3,790,060	$763	$201.32
7	Connecticut	3,501,252	$699	$199.64
8	Wyoming	532,668	$103	$193.37
9	Massachusetts	6,497,967	$1,250	$192.37
10	Wisconsin	5,627,967	$1,080	$191.90
11	Vermont	621,270	$116	$186.71
12	New Jersey	8,682,661	$1,580	$181.97
13	Hawaii	1,288,198	$228	$176.99
14	Rhode Island	1,050,788	$185	$176.06
15	Montana	967,440	$169	$174.69
16	Virginia	7,769,089	$1,250	$160.89
17	Ohio	11,485,910	$1,790	$155.84
18	Florida	18,328,340	$2,820	$153.86
19	Pennsylvania	12,448,279	$1,840	$147.81
20	New York	19,490,297	$2,870	$147.25
21	Arizona	6,500,180	$951	$146.30
22	Louisiana	4,410,796	$625	$141.70
23	Washington	6,549,224	$917	$140.02
24	New Mexico	1,984,356	$277	$139.59
25	Idaho	1,523,816	$207	$135.84
26	North Carolina	9,222,414	$1,250	$135.54
27	Oklahoma	3,642,361	$491	$134.80
28	Colorado	4,939,456	$625	$126.53
29	Kentucky	4,269,245	$521	$122.04
30	Arkansas	2,855,390	$348	$121.87
31	Kansas	2,802,134	$341	$121.69
32	Texas	24,326,974	$2,960	$121.68
33	Utah	2,736,424	$330	$120.60
34	Iowa	3,002,555	$353	$117.57
35	Maine	1,316,456	$153	$116.22
36	Georgia	9,685,744	$1,100	$113.57
37	South Carolina	4,479,800	$487	$108.71
38	Tennessee	6,214,888	$675	$108.61
39	Illinois	12,901,563	$1,360	$105.41
40	Indiana	6,376,792	$669	$104.91
41	North Dakota	641,481	$65	$101.33
42	South Dakota	804,194	$81	$100.72
43	Nebraska	1,783,432	$179	$100.37
44	West Virginia	1,814,468	$181	$99.75
45	Nevada	2,600,167	$253	$97.30
46	Missouri	5,911,605	$575	$97.27
47	Mississippi	2,938,618	$266	$90.52
48	Alabama	4,661,900	$420	$90.09
49	Minnesota	5,220,393	$460	$88.12
50	New Hampshire	1,315,809	$101	$76.76

Note: Population estimates for July 1, 2008 from US Census Bureau. Corrections expenditure data from Pew Center on the States. Data compiled by Smart Politics.

Minnesota also spends the second lowest percentage of its general funds in the country on corrections expenditures – just 2.6 percent in 2008, ahead of only Alabama (2.5 percent).

By comparison, Wisconsin, ranked 10th in the country, spends more than 3 times as much of its general fund on corrections, at 8.0 percent. South Dakota (7.1 percent), Iowa (6.0 percent), and North Dakota (5.4 percent) also spend more than twice as much of their general funds on corrections as the Gopher State.

Corrections Expenditures as Percentage of General Fund, 2008

Rank	State	% General Fund
1	Michigan	22.0
2	Oregon	10.6
3	Florida	10.0
4	Arizona	9.5
5	Vermont	9.4
6	California	9.3
7	Colorado	8.6
7	Montana	8.6
9	Maryland	8.2
10	Arkansas	8.0
10	Wisconsin	8.0
12	Nevada	7.9
13	Virginia	7.6
14	Idaho	7.3
14	Ohio	7.3
16	South Dakota	7.1
17	Oklahoma	7.0
18	Texas	6.8
18	Missouri	6.8
20	New Hampshire	6.8
21	Pennsylvania	6.7
22	South Carolina	6.6
23	Mississippi	6.4
23	Louisiana	6.4
25	Washington	6.3
26	North Carolina	6.2
27	Delaware	6.1
27	Illinois	6.1
29	Iowa	6.0
30	Georgia	5.9
31	Wyoming	5.7
31	Utah	5.7
33	Kansas	5.6
34	Rhode Island	5.5
34	Kentucky	5.5
34	Tennessee	5.5
37	New York	5.4
37	North Dakota	5.4
39	Indiana	5.3
40	Nebraska	5.1
41	Maine	4.9
42	New Jersey	4.8
43	Alaska	4.7
43	West Virginia	4.7
45	New Mexico	4.6
45	Massachusetts	4.6
47	Connecticut	4.3
47	Hawaii	4.3
49	Minnesota	2.6
50	Alabama	2.5

Source: Pew Center on the States.

Given Minnesota’s relatively low amount of expenditures on corrections, it should come as little surprise that the state also has a relatively low percentage of individuals in state prison – as it costs much more to lock someone up than to put them on probation.

In fact, Minnesota has the second lowest percentage of individuals in state prison in the country, as a percentage of total state population. At 0.171 percent, Minnesota has less than twice as many individuals in state prisons as both the neighboring states of Wisconsin (.409 percent, #25 in the nation) and South Dakota (.405 percent, #26).

Percentage of Residents in State Prison By State, 2008

Rank	State	Population	Prison	% Prison
1	Delaware	873,092	7,276	0.833
2	Alaska	686,293	5,167	0.753
3	Oklahoma	3,642,361	23,957	0.658
4	Texas	24,326,974	159,016	0.654
5	Connecticut	3,501,252	20,924	0.598
6	Alabama	4,661,900	27,816	0.597
7	Mississippi	2,938,618	17,479	0.595
8	Arizona	6,500,180	37,700	0.580
9	South Carolina	4,479,800	23,862	0.533
10	Florida	18,328,340	97,072	0.530
11	Nevada	2,600,167	13,245	0.509
11	Georgia	9,685,744	49,337	0.509
13	Missouri	5,911,605	29,857	0.505
14	Michigan	10,003,422	50,190	0.502
15	California	36,756,666	171,500	0.467
16	Arkansas	2,855,390	13,307	0.466
17	Hawaii	1,288,198	5,978	0.464
18	Louisiana	4,410,796	20,461	0.464
19	Colorado	4,939,456	22,666	0.459
20	Idaho	1,523,816	6,744	0.443
21	Ohio	11,485,910	50,731	0.442
22	Virginia	7,769,089	32,972	0.424
23	Maryland	5,633,597	23,282	0.413
24	North Carolina	9,222,414	37,970	0.412
25	Wisconsin	5,627,967	23,028	0.409
26	South Dakota	804,194	3,256	0.405
27	Indiana	6,376,792	25,130	0.394
28	Rhode Island	1,050,788	4,018	0.382
29	Wyoming	532,668	2,028	0.381
30	Pennsylvania	12,448,279	45,969	0.369
31	Oregon	3,790,060	13,925	0.367
32	Illinois	12,901,563	45,215	0.350
33	Vermont	621,270	2,145	0.345
34	Kentucky	4,269,245	14,545	0.341
35	New York	19,490,297	62,602	0.321
36	New Mexico	1,984,356	6,350	0.320
37	Kansas	2,802,134	8,696	0.310
37	Tennessee	6,214,888	19,248	0.310
39	Montana	967,440	2,940	0.304
40	New Jersey	8,682,661	25,359	0.292
41	Iowa	3,002,555	8,732	0.291
42	West Virginia	1,814,468	4,907	0.270
43	Washington	6,549,224	17,410	0.266
44	Nebraska	1,783,432	4,505	0.253
45	New Hampshire	1,315,809	2,891	0.220
46	North Dakota	641,481	1,368	0.213
47	Utah	2,736,424	5,223	0.191
48	Massachusetts	6,497,967	11,300	0.174
49	Minnesota	5,220,393	8,950	0.171
50	Maine	1,316,456	2,222	0.169

Note: Population estimates for July 1, 2008 from US Census Bureau. Corrections expenditure data from Pew Center on the States. Data compiled by Smart Politics.

The Gopher State, however, is not without its share of criminals. The difference is that Minnesota’s criminals tend to end up on probation, not in prison, relative to other states.

Minnesota is actually one of the leading states in the country in terms of the largest percentage of individuals on probation. At nearly 128,000, 2.45 percent of the state’s population is on probation for state crimes, or the 5th highest rate in the nation (behind Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island).

By contrast, Minnesota has more than twice the rate of people on probation for state crimes as the neighboring states of Wisconsin (0.95 percent, #33), Iowa (0.76 percent, #38), South Dakota (0.73 percent, #40), and North Dakota (0.70 percent, #42).

With the DFL legislature not funding corrections in its public safety bill to the extent that Governor Pawlenty wanted in his budget, it will be interesting to see what the Governor will do with the bill sent up for his signature on Tuesday. The legislation passed the House quite easily, 85-45, but only passed the Senate by a 36-30 vote.

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