Today's Must Read: What About Community Safety?

We commend Ian Demsky at The News Tribune for his story today, What About Community Safety?, an insightful look into a state Corrections program facing elimination as a cost-saving measure the Legislature is considering to help fill the budget gap.

To fill an $8 billion - and growing - budget deficit means some extremely tough cuts. Senate bill 5288 seeks to save around $80 million over the next four years by reducing the supervision of low- and moderate-risk parolees and offenders who have been released. That also means the elimination of 190 Corrections department jobs.

Demsky's story follows one of those corrections officers, Russell Alfaro, on his daily routine as he meets with released offenders.

When dealing with a budget in the billions, an avalanche of statistics, and hundreds of bills still in play, we appreciate Demsky's effort to put a human face on the numbers helping to reveal the human element hidden within them.