SC Officials Discuss Merging Prisons, Parole Dept.

South Carolina lawmakers are studying whether to merge the state Department of Corrections and the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services as a way to save millions of dollars. A committee looking at the possibility had its first meeting Wednesday in Columbia.

"What this is really about is looking at administrative functions that we both do," says Jon Ozmint, director of the Department of Corrections. "Both agencies have to have an HR department. Both agencies have to have an IT department."

He says combining those administrative functions would save anywhere from $2 million to $6 million a year after four or five years. No state employees would be laid off, but as they left for other jobs or retirement their positions would not be filled.

Ozmint says most other states have either always had one agency that oversees prisons and parolees or if they were separate they've merged into one.

PPP spokesman Pete O'Boyle says his agency is in favor of the merger. "The elected officials, ultimately, will decide what combination of the agencies works best in terms of saving money for the taxpayers and serving the citizens of South Carolina."

The committee that's studying the possible merger will meet several more times this year and make a recommendation for state lawmakers to consider next year.

But not everyone is in favor of a merger. Laura Hudson, director of the South Carolina Crime Victims' Council, says she sees no compelling reason to combine the agencies.

"My biggest objection is how crime victims might be treated," she says. "The support system (for victims) for parole hearings comes from PPP."

She's also concerned that the Corrections Director would have power over who is paroled if the agencies merge.

Ozmint says the plan keeps the State Parole Board as an independent body, so the Corrections Director would have no input on who's released.

As for how crime victims are treated, he says the Department of Corrections already has a victims' services department.

"When an offender is incarcerated, they (victims) get their information from us. When he's on probation, they have to change and deal with somebody totally different. New numbers, new locations. Under this system, there would be no transition. There would be one victims' service department within this agency and everything would be seamless," he says.

As for where the money saved would go if there is a merger, Ozmint says that would be up to lawmakers, but he hopes they would use it to hire more parole agents to ease the heavy caseload they currently have.