Arizona To Indiana Prison Transfers In Jeopardy

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(UNDATED) - Governor Daniels says transfers of Arizona prisoners to serve their sentences at the New Castle prison are probably over.

Arizona is paying Indiana about 40-thousand dollars a day to house 630 of its prisoners. But the transfers halted after an April riot.

Daniels says they won't resume unless staffing is beefed up, and he expects Indiana will need the space again itself by the time that happens. Daniels says the transfer program accomplished its goals in spite of the riot.

27 Arizona inmates and one Hoosier have been charged in connection with the riot.

The state expects to collect three-million dollars from Arizona, half what it would have gotten if the transfers had continued. Indiana's original transfer deal was with California, a plan which fell through after legal challenges in California courts. Daniels said then that no "seriously violent" offenders would be included. The Arizona deal stated only that offenders classified as medium-to-minimum security would be sent to Indiana.

The 630 prisoners selected include several convicted of murder. Daniels acknowledges that was a "refinement" of the original announcement. He says both Indiana and Arizona classify even violent offenders as medium security if their behavior in prison has been nonviolent.

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