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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – A North Dakota committee is meeting today to discuss overhauling the state’s prison system to lower costs and ease overcrowding.

The Legislature’s Incarceration Issues Committee is meeting today at the State Capitol in order to address the problem. Lawmakers, prison officials, judges and members of the public complete the committee. State Senator John Grabinger is part of the committee and stated that overcrowding has been an issue for quite some time.

Last year, the Legislature appropriated $50,000 to the Pew Charitable Trust Fund to study policy changes and cut recidivism. Senator Grabinger pointed out that the state meth and heroine issue has compounded the problem.

The group will discuss ways to keep people out of prison through treatment and sentencing alternatives.