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Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority

California Governor Arnold Schwarzegger announced in his State of the State address Wednesday he would reverse 100 years of policy and shift the focus of the state's penal system from punishment to rehabilitation:

Reversing a century-long tradition of allowing California's prisons to operate as fiefdoms, Schwarzenegger administration officials Thursday unveiled a new model that places one man in charge and aims to reduce crime by better preparing inmates for release. Under the plan, prison leaders for the first time in decades emphasize rehabilitation, marking a shift away from an era when punishment was the overriding mission.

Over the past year, California's prisons have been rocked by federal investigations, budget overruns, a videotaped beating of juvenile inmates, audits exposing waste and mismanagement and a federal judge's threat to place the adult lock-ups into receivership. Since his election, the Republican governor has expressed a strong desire to clean up the mess, visiting prisons and declaring that "the purpose of corrections should be to correct."

Gov. Arnold is ready to put his plan into action.

The plan was accompanied by a vision statement that, among other things, proposes to reduce crime by better preparing parolees to go straight -- increasing the amount of education, job training and other help they receive behind bars.....The new model abolishes separate departments that ran youth and adult prisons and centralizes control of education, health care, drug treatment, parole, and other services for young and old convicts alike. Prison leaders say such a move will save taxpayers money by eliminating duplication and improving efficiency.

You know the plan is a good one because the Prison Guards union opposes it. In order for it to succeed, however, experts say it must be accompanied by sentencing reform and a reduction of the state's inmate population.

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    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 06, 2005 at 11:30:15 PM EST
    simply shocking...a republican doing something right? and from schwarzneger no less... wow imagine it the repubs made this the new 'tough on crime'... the mind reals...

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#2)
    by anon55 on Thu Jan 06, 2005 at 11:35:02 PM EST
    To clarify, tho, it's not "reversing 100 years of policy." The California Penal Code said that the purpose of imprisonment was "rehabilitation" until 1979, when the "tough on crime" movement convinced the Legislature to change it to "punishment." Now let's hope they clean up the parole mess that is entirely responsible for CA's overcrowded prisons.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 06, 2005 at 11:39:13 PM EST
    Oh, sure. A "top priority." We can hope, because CYA, especially, is a wreck. But I doubt it will happen. He'll likely have his hands full with his huge fight with educators. It seems he lied in his central campaign promise to not touch education, and in his primary budget deal last year to respect Prop. 98's k-12 funding levels. He's a sociopath. (I mean, how does the face of the Special Olympics act to repeal rights and services for disabled children?) If he happens to do something good with prisons, it will be an accident only along the lines of a broken clock being right twice a day.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 01:57:46 AM EST
    This took leadership and vision. The Arnold knows full well he'll be vilified by the party he belongs to. A big hat tip for a step in the right direction. Now if only the guards and beaurocrats don't sabotage this....

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 06:10:46 AM EST
    Doing the right thing may be politically popular over the long run, but sometimes it takes a lot of cojones and political capital to begin the process. Kudos to Ahnold for saying the right thing. Now make it happen big guy. By our deeds rather than our words shall we be known.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 08:16:43 AM EST
    This is just one of a package of "reforms" suggested by the Exaggerator. The item that seems a priority for him is redisstricting and using it as a club against his opposition. When he took office he promised fantastic prison reform and this is a worthwhile piece of paper. But it is not his priority. His priority to date has been protecting the insurance industry and raising money for himself. The prison reform plan was not above the fold in any California newspaper.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 08:20:05 AM EST
    yes, this is definitely a step in the right direction for gov schwarzeneggar. it's funny, schwarzeneggar is far from perfect (as ar all politicians). but he is the kind of republican candidate i coould get behind. fiscally conservative, socially liberal... gives me hope that the republican party is not wholly peopled by arch conservative corporate lap dogs.

    yeah what kelite said...

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 11:35:28 AM EST
    Just saw this editorial in today's SacBee --they have a challenge to Schwarzenegger. editorial [no link provided]

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#11)
    by pax on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 11:43:08 AM EST
    What is his real aim? To use the prisoners as indentured workers, so he can do away with state civil service jobs? And is he going to ask faith-based organizations do the "rehabilitation" therapy? Sorry, but I can't get those images of Hitler's work camps out of my mind. When politicans start caring about prisoners, there's something wrong...or something to be gained.

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#12)
    by kdog on Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 01:31:16 PM EST
    Maybe Maria Shriver is the real governor? Or at least the one making the decisions?

    "Kudos to Ahnold for saying the right thing. Now make it happen big guy." Not likely. Governor Vote-Fraud of Austria is an unpunished CRIMINAL himself. He: 1) Came to the US on a tourist visa, make considerable bucks ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTLY boosting Weider protein powder and in muscleman exhibitions, while consuming vast amounts of illegal drugs, and participating in a great number of what might be considered immoral acts. 2) He paid NO taxes on those proceeds. 3) He is widely alleged to have committed a series of sexual assaults, rapes, and employer misconducts (on movie sets). 4) He has never explained WHY he met with Ken Lay and Michael Milken DURING the Enron Energy-Crisis EXTORTION. 5) He STOLE the election. 17 counties voted on illegally installed and removed HOT LOADS from Diebold, untested and uncertified software, which mysteriously transfered valid Bustamonte votes to unknown third party candidates. So Gov. Vote-Fraud of Austria can kiss my California-born arse. We don't like his kind of liar, criminal, cheater, fraud, no matter how much some people like his power-flaunting celebrity and his oafish, sex-criminal, charms. --

    Well, Paul, let's assume all that you say about Ahnold is true, and it may be, how would I know? I don't follow CA politics. But back to the suggestion that the CA prison system switch its focus to rehabilitation. How many dem governors haven't made that statement since 1979 or whenever? Doesn't it sound like a good idea on its face?

    "Well, Paul, let's assume all that you say about Ahnold is true, and it may be, how would I know? I don't follow CA politics." The absurdity in that shocks me. The stealing of a gubnatorial election is hardly local news. "But back to the suggestion that the CA prison system switch its focus to rehabilitation." The whole idea is rightwing absurdity in extremis. As has been pointed out, that WAS the penal philosophy until Reagan-era Get Tough legislation forced through once again by YOU GUYS. Funny how $Rs count on people having no memory of the past. For instance, this felon for example. Arnold LIED about two things consistently throughout his two month 'campaign': 1) Blaming Gray Davis for the Car Tax, which was a law passed by former $R Gov. Wilson --HIS CAMPAIGN CHIEF. Davis had nothing to do with it. 2) The "$29 M Deficit," which was actually $8 M, because the the $29 M was a fake number derived because the budget hadn't been signed yet. Enron owes the State of California something over TEN MILLION DOLLARS in refunds for what they STOLE from us. Bustamante filed a lawsuit against Enron. If not for the Schwartzenegger coup, we wouldn't have any budget deficit. We even remember that California had a huge budget surplus before Bush & Enron gang (and junior partner Arnold 'Strongman Comedian' Scheisskopf) busted the bank. --

    Hey, Paul, chill a little. I don't like stolen elections. Clinton is the only republican I have ever voted for to be POTUS. No need to jump all over me. I am just more than ready to see anyone from either side of the aisle suggest that maybe the get tough on crime story was complete bs and counter-productive. If Ahnold brings it up, I like it almost as much as if Barbara Boxer suggests it. I think it's an idea whose time have come and come again. It's overdue. Now Ahnold may be suggesting it because it occurs to him that he will have trouble managing his budget priorities with an unnecessarily large prison population. And his main motivation might be his own personal ambition, not a public service issue, but the sun shines even on a dog's butt some days, right?

    Re: Gov. Arnold Makes Prison Reform Top Priority (none / 0) (#17)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Jan 08, 2005 at 11:15:38 AM EST
    Go Paul!!!!! I had to sit and watch while that fraud of a special election went down. 11 weeks of Ringling Bros. on a statewide scale. In San Diego County the electronic voting was a disaster in that election. Who the hell knows who won? AS is a hypocritical as they come. Does anyone here really think he will truly REFORM the system. Rearrange it, yes. But change it to help rehab people? I won't hold my breath. Who's he trying to impress?

    NOTHING that a person who has stolen an election does after that is worth praise, unless you view the Constitution as toilet paper LIKE THEY HAVE. As for Gov. Vote-Fraud of Austria desiring something good for California or its prisoners, let's have him RESIGN, and then he can work from the sidelines while waiting for his deportation trial. Arse-kissing has become a national sport. --

    If you remember, Che, the 'election' was two part. No one knows IF there was a recall, not just who may have won the replacement slot. California SecState Katherine Shelley, a Dem in $Wolf clothing, bent over backwards to install this unredeemed son-of-a-Nazi on the state I love. It's bad enough to have to live through legally-elected idiots like Reagan, Deukmejian, or Wilson. And the Nazi-Staff Cars 'Arnold the Pig' helped foist on us are gathering nothing but a crop of raised middle fingers for their flaunting of inefficiency, callousness, greed, and Nouveau-Fascist Jew-stomping cuteness. --