Matt Blunt Balances Budget on Backs of Parolees

Missouri Governor Saves Taxpayer Dollars Through Cost Sharing:

Among other things, HB 700, signed today, authorizes the Board of Probation and Parole to charge offenders under their supervision a monthly fee. The fee will be administered on a case-by-case basis and is estimated to net $3.5 million in FY06 and $7 million in FY07.

"The fee is a good example of appropriate cost sharing and will provide needed funding for corrections services at the expense of offenders." Blunt said. "It just makes sense that offenders should have a hand in paying for the services they receive."

Of course, although we at Matt Blunt rankle slightly at the idea of state-imposed sanction as services, we are pleased that the Missouri government will recover costs from these programs.