Early release could lead to deportation for illegals
By Dara Kam
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, April 21, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Up to 5,000 illegal aliens locked up in Florida prisons could get out early and be deported under a measure approved by a Senate committee this afternoon.

If the proposal is adopted into law, the state could save about $15 million, according to the bill (SB 1066) sponsor, Sen. Mike Bennett.

The plan would allow non-violent alien prisoners to serve a minimum of 50 percent of their sentences and then be deported to their country of origin. Currently, all prisoners in Florida must serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentences.

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials found that, under similar agreements, New York officials saved nearly $140 million between 2005 and 2007 and Arizona officials saved $13 million in prison costs.

The proposal would save money not only for prison bed costs but for prison guards and probation officers in an era when Florida is anticipating a need to build 8,000 additional prison beds at a cost of about $450 million, Bennett said.

"Every one of these people is getting deported anyway" after their sentences are completed, he said.

Opponents of the measure, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Alex Villalobos, argue that it would provide an incentive for drug traffickers to hire illegal aliens to deal in drugs because they would be eligible to serve shorter sentences than U.S. citizens.

~ dara_kam@pbpost.com