Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
There may yet be a silver lining behind the calamitous $41 billion state budget deficit. It may force policy changes and budget cuts for a once-untouchable area of spending: state prisons.
Faced with uncontrolled prison costs and a panel of federal judges poised to place a cap on the prison population, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to eliminate parole for nonviolent offenders. Doing so, along with additional early-release credits for inmates who complete vocational and education programs, would slow the revolving door of parole violators needlessly returned to prison. And that, in turn, would reduce prison crowding and save nearly $600 million - the bulk of the 8.7 percent Schwarzenegger plans to cut from the $9.6 billion Corrections Department budget.
The governor must be doing this under duress. Two years ago, he jammed through a compliant Legislature a $9 billion bond for prison expansion that, fortunately, remains stalled. Schwarzenegger also has fought the establishment of a sentencing commission that no doubt would recommend changes in parole laws.
But credit him with finally advocating reform. He's also proposing to use money from a tax increase on alcoholic drinks to fund prison drug and alcohol treatment programs.
Schwarzenegger apparently can count on support from Democrats. They included similar provisions in their $18 billion budget deal now in limbo for other reasons.
All prisoners currently face three to five years of probation after their release, no matter what the crime. This leads to tens of thousands of nonviolent inmates being sent back to prison each year on technical violations. It's a principal reason why the number of inmates has exploded to 172,000 and California has the nation's largest parole population and recidivism rate.
Eliminating parole for nonviolent, nonserious and nonsex offenders would align California with most other states. The administration estimates it would more than halve the parole population of 123,000 and cut prison population by 15,000 by June 2010.
The Legislature should tweak the plan to exclude some offenses, like stalking, for which there should be parole. But, contrary to claims by the prison guards union, dropping parole for nonviolent crimes won't endanger the public. Quite the opposite: Parole officers will focus on the most dangerous offenders. The current system, as one penal expert has said, maximizes the risk to the community and expenses to the state. What the union fears is the loss of overtime pay and membership when prisons start shrinking.
Schwarzenegger's plan may not satisfy the three federal judges who are considering what to do about the state's failure to give prisoners adequate medical care. They may want more inmates released to ease crowding.
But it marks a drastic shift in state policy that for decades consisted of piling on sentences for crimes without making streets safer. The cost has finally caught up with us.
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2009 San Jose Mercury News
Contact: letters@mercurynews.com
Website: Home - San Jose Mercury News
Faced with uncontrolled prison costs and a panel of federal judges poised to place a cap on the prison population, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to eliminate parole for nonviolent offenders. Doing so, along with additional early-release credits for inmates who complete vocational and education programs, would slow the revolving door of parole violators needlessly returned to prison. And that, in turn, would reduce prison crowding and save nearly $600 million - the bulk of the 8.7 percent Schwarzenegger plans to cut from the $9.6 billion Corrections Department budget.
The governor must be doing this under duress. Two years ago, he jammed through a compliant Legislature a $9 billion bond for prison expansion that, fortunately, remains stalled. Schwarzenegger also has fought the establishment of a sentencing commission that no doubt would recommend changes in parole laws.
But credit him with finally advocating reform. He's also proposing to use money from a tax increase on alcoholic drinks to fund prison drug and alcohol treatment programs.
Schwarzenegger apparently can count on support from Democrats. They included similar provisions in their $18 billion budget deal now in limbo for other reasons.
All prisoners currently face three to five years of probation after their release, no matter what the crime. This leads to tens of thousands of nonviolent inmates being sent back to prison each year on technical violations. It's a principal reason why the number of inmates has exploded to 172,000 and California has the nation's largest parole population and recidivism rate.
Eliminating parole for nonviolent, nonserious and nonsex offenders would align California with most other states. The administration estimates it would more than halve the parole population of 123,000 and cut prison population by 15,000 by June 2010.
The Legislature should tweak the plan to exclude some offenses, like stalking, for which there should be parole. But, contrary to claims by the prison guards union, dropping parole for nonviolent crimes won't endanger the public. Quite the opposite: Parole officers will focus on the most dangerous offenders. The current system, as one penal expert has said, maximizes the risk to the community and expenses to the state. What the union fears is the loss of overtime pay and membership when prisons start shrinking.
Schwarzenegger's plan may not satisfy the three federal judges who are considering what to do about the state's failure to give prisoners adequate medical care. They may want more inmates released to ease crowding.
But it marks a drastic shift in state policy that for decades consisted of piling on sentences for crimes without making streets safer. The cost has finally caught up with us.
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2009 San Jose Mercury News
Contact: letters@mercurynews.com
Website: Home - San Jose Mercury News
