Even people who know very little little about prisons might have heard the term “the hole.” Anyone who has seen a terrible movie about prisons will know that this usually refers to “isolation” when prisoners are kept in a cell usually by themselves for 23 hours a day. Well now that states are broke, it looks like we are going to extend a version of the “hole” to all prisoners. From a recent article about prisons in Washington State:

All eight major prisons in Washington began a one-day lockdown Tuesday, Nov. 16, as part of the Department of Corrections’ effort to help balance the state budget.

Offenders will remain in their cells all day except during meals.

There will be a scheduled one-day lockdown each month between now and the end of the budget cycle, which ends June 30, 2011.

The lockdowns will allow the Department of Corrections to expand the number of staff members who are impacted by temporary layoffs.

“This is just one of many unprecedented steps we’re taking to reduce spending and help the state overcome a historic budget crisis,” Prisons Director Bernie Warner said. “We will be adequately staffed to operate the prisons safely. Offenders just won’t have access to programs, education or work.”

I am certain that if any cost savings are achieved through this, you will see this practice catch on like wildfire across the country.

The Department of Corrections and other agencies that receive most of their operational funds from the state’s general fund are required to reduce across-the-board spending by 6 percent between now and the end of the budget cycle.

For the Department of Corrections, that means reducing spending by $53 million while still incarcerating more than 16,000 offenders in prisons and supervising more than 19,000 offenders in communities.

“The impact these budget cuts have had on our staff has been significant, even before this current round,” Warner said. “But we believe actions like these modified lockdowns will allow us to reduce spending without compromising safety for both the staff and offenders.”

Hello Washington State, how about rethinking your criminal legal system to ensure that you have LESS PEOPLE UNDER CORRECTIONAL SUPERVISION? This would be the smart thing to do. But of course, we never do the smart or sensible thing do we?

During the lockdowns, offenders will not be able to attend education classes, participate in treatment programs or go to work.

While that saves money in the short term, prison administrators say access to programs and work is important to prison safety.

“Offenders who work and participate in programs are less likely to cause trouble,” Warner said. “That’s why we work hard to provide effective programs and training for offenders to participate in. Having one-day lockdowns each month will still allow offenders plenty of opportunities to work and participate in programs.”

The prisons that will be on lockdown will be Airway Heights Corrections Center, Clallam Bay Corrections Center, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, Monroe Correctional Complex, Stafford Creek Corrections Center, Washington Corrections Center, Washington Corrections Center for Women and Washington State Penitentiary. The state’s five minimum-security work camps will operate as usual.

Sigh…