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MISSOURI -- Missouri senators have given preliminary approval to a plan to shrink the state's prison population by more than 2,000 people.

Our Fact Finder Team discovered that under the bill, those convicted of the least-severe felonies could not be sentenced to time in Missouri's state prisons unless they have two previous felony convictions.

"The biggest concern I would have in doing that is we're already seeing funding cut in their programs here in our counties and throughout the state.  It's a concern that prosecutors and judges over the past two weeks have raised throughout the state," said Matt Wilson, Adair County Prosecutor.

Wilson told Fact Finder that under the proposed law people convicted of more-serious felonies like forgery, identity theft and possessing a controlled substance also could not be sentenced to prison unless they have a previous felony conviction.

Instead, offenders would be directed to treatment programs, given probation or sentenced to time in the county jail.