WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |Dept. of Correction will only have to cut 6%

Dept. of Correction will only have to cut 6%

In what was a last second reprieve Tuesday night, the Department of Correction is being asked to reduce its spending by 6% next year instead of the 15% wanted from most state departments.

"Clearly I think that reflects the governor's concern, his priorities in maintaining public safety and at least allowing us some flexibility, making the kinds of choices in how we go about meeting our requirements," Correction Commissioner George Little told News 2 during a phone interview Wednesday.

Despite that, he did not rule out that some offenders, who are incarcerated now or who face future sentencing, might not be in prison during the next fiscal year.

"At the end of the day, not only at the state level with our prisons but at the local level with our jails, I think we all will have to really take stock of who we have in our jails and our prisons and ask ourselves, ‘Are these the people that we want off the street to provide for the greatest measure of public safety?'"

Commissioner Little stressed that no decisions have been made in his department about releasing some inmates.

He said prosecutors, parole boards, judges and county sheriffs are among the many voices that would have to be heard on such a decision.

Governor Bredesen has said he hopes to preserve education and public safety as much as possible during the budget process.