Legislators says it’ll cost millions to change sex offender law

Two key legislators say it’ll take up to six million more dollars to pay for the additional prison time they plan to require for sex offenders. Senator Chuck Larson, Junior — a Republican from Cedar Rapids — says getting rid of “time off for good behavior” for sex offenders who refuse to undergo treatment behind bars is one reason for the additional cost. The other: the proposal to put someone behind bars for life if they’re convicted of a second time of a sex crime. Larson estimates about 20 two-time sex offenders would be sentenced to life in prison each year. Another one-hundred who’re already behind bars and refusing treatment would be kept in prison longer. Senator Keith Kreiman, a Democrat from Bloomfield, says lawmakers could find extra prison money by spending more on half-way houses and hiring more parole officers. Kreiman says the Parole Board has said 350 prisoners are ready for release, but there aren’t enough probation officers or spaces in half-way houses. “Frankly, if we can take care of those people on the outside at a much cheaper rate, then we can take these sexual predators, we can keep them in prison longer, protect society a bit better, without building a new prison,” Kreiman says.Kreiman and Larson made their comments during taping of the Iowa Public Television program “Iowa Press.”