Idaho ponders having prisoners sleep in shifts
`With space scarce as the U.S. prison population grows, a top Idaho lawmaker is proposing that inmates share beds by sleeping in shifts, a practice sometimes used by the U.S. military.
“Why does every inmate need his or her own bed?” asked State Sen. Robert Geddes. “The military does it all the time.”
The issue arises as Idaho and other states stiffen penalties for drug-related crimes, putting a premium on prison space. Idaho has nearly 7,000 inmates, and that number is growing by nearly 7 percent a year.’
