Two bills are making their way in the Legislature that will escalate the number of West Virginians incarcerated in jails and prisons. (Stock photo by Motortion/Getty Images)
The State Capitol is all about money — until it isn’t. It is often said that a budget is a representation of our shared values. We show what is a priority for us by paying for it. And a few weeks into the 2026 legislative session, the message from key politicians is unmistakable: programs that help our children are less of a priority than programs that punish our people.
At the moment, two Bills are on the way, which will escalate the number of West Virginians incarcerated in our country deadly jails and prisons where on average one person dies every six days. And that costs taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Although these two bills each passed a full chamber, many more could be considered that would dramatically expand our prison system. Although these measures lock people up longer and cost a lot of taxpayer money, there is no sign that they will become more widespread Community safety or Reduce crime.
In none of the bills passed by a chamber so far have lawmakers required tax returns, an analysis they exploit to assess the potential budgetary costs of their legislation. In fact, one lawmaker is advocating a policy to escalate lengthy prison sentences said In response to cost concerns: “I will in no way allow the cost of a prison sentence to be a factor in trying to do the right thing…”
Somehow the feeling that some programs are vital regardless of their cost doesn’t apply to those who serve our state’s children. While good bills to improve school funding and child care have been heard in the education and health committees, none have made it through the all-important finance committees and passed a full chamber. When Gov. Patrick Morrisey was asked about his support for the Republican-led party legislation He wants to provide tens of millions of dollars in funding to rural public schools by providing them with staff and adequate services for students with special needs said He would only consider these bills if cuts were made elsewhere — a demand that has never been made by anyone advocating for legislation to escalate spending in our prisons and jails.
This phenomenon is not modern. Since 2019, inflation-adjusted spending on prisons and correctional facilities has increased by over the state budget 38%. This is largely due to dramatically increased medical costs as longer prison sentences required by lawmakers have resulted in an older and sicker prison population.
During the same period, government budget spending increased rejected on state aid for public schools (down 8%), Medicaid (down 27%) and higher education (down 6%). The escalate in incarceration has cost money that is not available to support programs that help our children and keep our communities secure. If spending on jails and prisons had simply remained at 2019 levels, we would have an additional $120 million for public schools, early childhood education, health care, immaculate water infrastructure, and much more.
This is what happens when we allow penalties to rise unchecked while we fret over all the spending that supports our children’s future. And it is ready to proceed if the session so far is any indication. The budgets we have seen so far do not include modern funding for public schools or early childhood education and health care, and do not address long-standing needs for infrastructure and immaculate water. And although Morrisey proposed creating a fund to bring children in the foster care system home from out-of-state placements, he provided less than that a tenth the resources necessary to bring all of our children home. When we look at child welfare, health care, education and immaculate water, why don’t we see lawmakers declaring that cost cannot be a factor in doing the right thing?
Our budget is a moral document that reflects the future we envision for our children. Our choice is between incarcerating 1,000 more West Virginia parents or helping 5,000 more West Virginia families be able to afford quality child care. The choice between locking up more legally innocent people in custody or investing in immaculate water and flood protection infrastructure in our coalfield communities. The decisions we make today will determine whether we give our children the secure and successful future they deserve.
