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Another Day, Another CA Prison Crisis

By TChris, Section Inmates and Prisons
Posted on Tue Feb 20, 2007 at 10:55:25 PM EST
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California's plan to outsource its prison management problem to private prisons in other states met with a judge's disapproval, forcing the state to confront the reality of its bloated prison population. The decision is a loss for Gov. Schwarzenegger in his struggle with the state's powerful prison union.

The California Correctional Peace Officers Association and the Service Employees International Union challenged Schwarzenegger's transfers for violating the emergency act and a provision in the state Constitution. That provision prohibits using private companies for jobs usually performed by state workers. The judge agreed with the unions on both points.

The governor worries that the state will be forced to release dangerous prisoners to alleviate overcrowding. If the governor used his pardon power to free prisoners serving lengthy "strike" sentences for nonviolent crimes and to shorten drug sentences, he'd find it easier to house the violent criminals.

Stories about California's prison crisis never end. Here's a sampling:

TalkLeft, 2003: California Prisons Out of Control

TalkLeft, 2004: California Declares Prison Emergency and Report Calls For CA Prison Reform

TalkLeft, 2005: CA Prison Medical Takeover Possible

TalkLeft 2006: Arnie Promises Reform of California Prison System

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    Another Day, Another CA Prison Crisis | 5 comments (5 topical)

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    Sentencing isn't the biggest problem. (none / 0) (#1)
    by mattd on Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 02:40:12 AM EST
    And sentencing is a problem, but that's not what keeps California's prison system completely broken.

    It's the parole system, and it's been that way for years.  Half of California inmates are in state prison for parole violations, and none of them were put there by a judge or jury - just by members of the prison guards' union.

    It is a fantastically whacked and unbelievable incarceration machine, and if California fixed it, the prison problem would go away overnight - and, coincidentally, about 40% of the CCPOA members would be out of a job, so they fight very hard to make sure that doesn't happen.

    I'm just sayin.

    follow the money........................... (none / 0) (#2)
    by cpinva on Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 08:09:10 AM EST
    reform isn't going to happen, as long as so much cash and jobs are at stake. in fact, expect to see the prison population swell even more, as politicians vie with each other to see who can pass more laws, making even more people criminals.

    Police say: reduce crime, 'Give heroin to addicts' (none / 0) (#3)
    by aahpat on Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 06:36:24 PM EST
    Give heroin to addicts, says police chief
    The Telegraph 21/02/2007

    "One of the country's most senior police officers has called for heroin to be prescribed to long-term addicts in order to prevent them from committing crime.

    Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said that a way had to be found to deal with a hard core minority of heroin addicts.

    "I was a drugs officer and we have to be realistic," said Mr Jones, who has emerged as the most senior police officer yet to back heroin prescription." http://leftindependent.blogspot.com/2007/02/police-say-reduce-crime-give-heroin-to.html

    The drug war is the problem (none / 0) (#4)
    by aahpat on Wed Feb 21, 2007 at 06:42:04 PM EST
    Short and simple.

    The drug war is creating this crisis across the nation. America now has a permanent criminal sub-culture 16 million strong with hundreds of thousands of drug offenders added to it yearly.

    As long as we continue to vote for Democrats and Republicans who support the drug war this problem will continue. This is the fault of all supporters of Jim Crow drug warrior Democrats and Republicans.

    As long as the two dominance parties continue to prosecute richard Nixon's other dirty little war America will suffer with more and more violent crime.

    What a crock. Release non-violent drug... (none / 0) (#5)
    by Bill Arnett on Thu Feb 22, 2007 at 05:13:31 PM EST
    ...offenders and there goes about 40% of the prison population.

    The talk of releasing "violent" criminals is just more Rethug BS, fear-mongering, and another scam to tweak more money from taxpayers.

    Another Day, Another CA Prison Crisis | 5 comments (5 topical)

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