A Time to Subtract, Not Add
By: Dortell Williams
As a California prisoner for the past 17 consecutive years, I agree with our Legislature when they use terms like short- sighted, hastily and half- hazard to define Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $6 billion prison reform proposal. Just as asinine as it would be to add more buckets to solve plumbing leak, likewise would it be to build more prisons, or addictions to existing sites. The best solution is to stop the leak at its source.
Sen. Gloria Romero (D- Los Angeles) and others are absolutely right in their call for sentencing and parole reform- the origin of the leak. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation releases an average of 300 prisoners a day, the majority of which have had no access to meaningful rehabilitation, while the CDCR takes in approximately 310 prisoners a day; 7 percent of which are recidivists. Is it any wonder that the problem has steadily grown worse? It's as simple as mathematics.
Meanwhile, the legislature annually criminalizes about a half dozen kinds of behavior that was perfectly legal the year before.
Moreover, the average modern state prison is designed to hold 2100 prisoners. Each one is currently at near double its designed capacity- a simmering hot pot ready to explode. According to the California Inspector General, Families to Amend Three Strikes and the Legislative Analyst Office, there are an estimated 18,000 parolees in for technical violations (not new crimes), 3,000 geriatric prisoners, 7,000 lifers who have fulfilled their parole board requirements and are long overdue for parole. (California only releases 2 percent of this eligible group), 4,500 non-violent three- strikers, 4,500 non- violent low custody women and thousands of mentally ill patients who belong in hospitals, not prison. Corrections should correct these injustices and the state could actually close about a third of its costly and budget-draining $8.7 billion a year penal institutions for good. Again, its all about the mathematics- Subtraction, not addition.
California tax payers would do good to follow the prudent, non- partisan recommendations of criminologists and penologists, as opposed to self- serving politicians- especially in an ulterior motives- filled election year.
Sources:
Jennifer Warren and Jordan Rau, "Prison Reform Plan Falls Short, "Los Angeles Times, August 30, 2006: B1, B7
Don Thompson (AP) "Special Session to Address Prison Reform," Antelope Valley Press, August 6, 2006
Office of Inspector General, "Accountability Audit: Review of BPT, 2002- 2003, (Also Prison Legal News, "2005 Audit of California Parole Board Reveals Ongoing Deficiencies," pp. 16, 17
Ben Pesta, "With Courage State Budget Could Be Balanced," Daily News, October 19, 2003, pp. 1, 4
Legislative Analyst Office, October 2005
By: Dortell Williams
As a California prisoner for the past 17 consecutive years, I agree with our Legislature when they use terms like short- sighted, hastily and half- hazard to define Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $6 billion prison reform proposal. Just as asinine as it would be to add more buckets to solve plumbing leak, likewise would it be to build more prisons, or addictions to existing sites. The best solution is to stop the leak at its source.
Sen. Gloria Romero (D- Los Angeles) and others are absolutely right in their call for sentencing and parole reform- the origin of the leak. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation releases an average of 300 prisoners a day, the majority of which have had no access to meaningful rehabilitation, while the CDCR takes in approximately 310 prisoners a day; 7 percent of which are recidivists. Is it any wonder that the problem has steadily grown worse? It's as simple as mathematics.
Meanwhile, the legislature annually criminalizes about a half dozen kinds of behavior that was perfectly legal the year before.
Moreover, the average modern state prison is designed to hold 2100 prisoners. Each one is currently at near double its designed capacity- a simmering hot pot ready to explode. According to the California Inspector General, Families to Amend Three Strikes and the Legislative Analyst Office, there are an estimated 18,000 parolees in for technical violations (not new crimes), 3,000 geriatric prisoners, 7,000 lifers who have fulfilled their parole board requirements and are long overdue for parole. (California only releases 2 percent of this eligible group), 4,500 non-violent three- strikers, 4,500 non- violent low custody women and thousands of mentally ill patients who belong in hospitals, not prison. Corrections should correct these injustices and the state could actually close about a third of its costly and budget-draining $8.7 billion a year penal institutions for good. Again, its all about the mathematics- Subtraction, not addition.
California tax payers would do good to follow the prudent, non- partisan recommendations of criminologists and penologists, as opposed to self- serving politicians- especially in an ulterior motives- filled election year.
Sources:
Jennifer Warren and Jordan Rau, "Prison Reform Plan Falls Short, "Los Angeles Times, August 30, 2006: B1, B7
Don Thompson (AP) "Special Session to Address Prison Reform," Antelope Valley Press, August 6, 2006
Office of Inspector General, "Accountability Audit: Review of BPT, 2002- 2003, (Also Prison Legal News, "2005 Audit of California Parole Board Reveals Ongoing Deficiencies," pp. 16, 17
Ben Pesta, "With Courage State Budget Could Be Balanced," Daily News, October 19, 2003, pp. 1, 4
Legislative Analyst Office, October 2005
posted by K Williams at 7:56 PM
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