Corrections Chief Proposes ‘Chain Gang’ To Trim Budget

What a concept!

The state could save millions of dollars by housing low-security inmates in tents, slapping them in leg irons and putting them to work maintaining roads, Florida’s prisons chief said Friday. Department of Corrections Secretary James McDonough also offered to take a 10 percent pay cut – more than $11,000 – as part of his recommendations for helping the state trim its budget.

Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Legislature are looking for ways to cover a $1.1 billion budget gap this year because of lower-than-expected tax collections caused mainly by Florida’s housing slump. McDonough said he thinks the tents and road work would save about $43 million.

Hey, if this sort of thing works with Joe Arpaio in Arizona, why not Florida? (Why not a lot of other places, too?)