This is music to our ears. Governor Arnold is making some good suggestions about shortening criminal sentences as a means of dealing with the state's fiscal crisis.

The changes would reverse years of a get-tough policy on criminals under California's last three governors, and could face opposition from Republican lawmakers who make up a minority in the Legislature.

A top Schwarzenegger aide, in a briefing with reporters, said the new Republican governor is at the "very, very preliminary" stage of considering whether to ask lawmakers to shorten sentences for lesser crimes and increase reliance on alternative punishments.

....corrections officials project as many as 25,000 of the state's 161,000 inmates could be safely released, but he cautioned: "The vast majority of our inmates are in there for serious crimes. Those are not being looked at (for early release) at all." The Bee reported Saturday it obtained internal memos showing the administration is considering abolishing parole for nonviolent inmates. The move would save $231 million a year by 2005-06.

California is not alone in reviewing this option. Twenty-five states have replaced mandatory minimum sentences with programs that substitute treatment, rehabilitation or early-release over long prison sentences. The shift away from "get tough" sentencing has been led mostly by Republican lawmakers who are faced with a state budget crisis and are unwilling to increase taxes to build more prisons.

One in every 32 adults is now on probation, parole or incarcerated. There are far better and cheaper alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders. We hope that Democratic candidates across the country take notice and add this to their platforms.