Mass release Californian prisoners

"As a former Gang Prosecutor, I am gravely concerned by the fact that this panel of non-elected judges seems committed to imposing a cap on California's prison population. This cap will release thousands of dangerous criminals back onto our streets." stated CRLA President Steve Baric. "We believe that the early release of dangerous criminals sets a bad precedent and makes a mockery of our public safety laws. Stories of early released prisoners committing new crimes are too numerous to list. This cap would put the safety of all Californians at risk."
www.redcounty.com...

California's 33 prisons now house 156,000 inmates, about twice the number the facilities were designed to hold. Attorneys for the inmates have asked the court to limit the prison population to 104,000, or 130 percent of design capacity. To reach that number, they are asking that 52,000 inmates be released over a two-year period.

"We are representing more than 150,000 individuals who are constantly dependent upon the governor and the Department of Corrections to meet their basic needs," said Donald Specter, executive director of the Prison Law Office. "For more than a decade, those basic needs have not been met."

www.venturacountystar.com...

Overcrowding is the primary cause of the unconstitutional conditions that have been found to exist in the California prisons," the court concluded.

www.cnn.com...

Amazing that this has not recieved widespread media coverage. It is a huge issue, but I am confounded by what I have read. It is not really clear as to what kinds of criminals are to be set free, speculation at best.

I do not know that it is actually going to happen, it could be a ploy to build more prisons nationwide to ship the over flow to.

I'll give you 10 to 1 that the crime rate will see a sudden surge as these people are released. Many, not all, will find it impossible to survive on the outside.

It just dawned on me that they are talking about having 58,000 people released that may not have homes or food and the state is already having issues with providing checks to people that get state funding so these people wont get that money either.

Man will this compound the problem.... I hope they let repeat offense hookers out first. At least we can keep California smiling as they are getting screwed over..... by the state i mean.

Um. How bout you round up the worst of the worst and toss em in the ocean??

im a little tea pot

In reality putting most of these people in prison is completely stupid.
To repay there so called debt to society they should have to give something back to it by doing something meaningful and helping people.
There needs to be programs for non violent people who aren't an immediate danger to do some kinds of works to provide something to the community as a way of paying there debt.
Can you imagine how much money this would save and how many people this would help?
But you see the bureaucrats don't want this, they like there prison contracts making there wallets fat.
And overpaid useless government workers like getting paid to do nothing and these people doing it for free wouldn't be profitable for them.

reply to post by Moonsouljah


"Dogs I say."
Hey, what's with the 'dogs' remark? I like dogs, and most of the ones I've know have a hell of a lot more sense than people. They don't lie, cheat or steal (ok, they will grab food off of a plate and act like they're innocent, but it's transparent and funny) I know you were just looking for a comparison, but dogs would be insulted ;-)

reply to post by ExquisitExamplE


"Agree Completely Tezz, victimless crime is not a crime at all, you should be allowed to victimize yourself if you wish, that's your prerogative."

I read somewhere that committing suicide is illegal in some state(s). If successful, who are they going to prosecute? I've been around people who are coked out. They're very nervous and paranoid, and just generally unpleasant to be around. Given a choice between being around someone who's drunk and someone who's stoned on MJ, I choose the latter. I believe in full legalization. In the early part of the 20th century, a nine year old could walk into a pharmacy and buy heroin, coc aine, etc.. and a number of products based on these without a prescription. While there were addicts, there was nowhere near the problem that exists now. When something is made a 'forbidden fruit', it makes it more attractive for people to try. The people who are going to be addicts/users are that way anyway. As far as the BS about MJ being a 'gateway'--this was proven false in the Netherlands (sorry for the OT, just want to emphasize that locking people up for drugs is stupid, and prohibition is profitable which is THE ONLY reason it exists. The CIA and DEA are the largest importers of coc aine, heroin, 'X' and schedule II drugs for the street (please reference Cele Castillo at

www.powderburns.org...

Originally posted by Muundoggie
I'll give you 10 to 1 that the crime rate will see a sudden surge as these people are released. Many, not all, will find it impossible to survive on the outside.

I would be a fool to take you up on that bet, simply because of the lack of employment and the additional impediment toward employment from being in prison. I suspect that people who don't even have criminal tendencies will steal to eat and/or feed their children. I won't pay to anyone's drug/alcohol (same difference) problem, but if I have food I will always attempt to share it within reason.

two words: Privatize Prisons

and if i were president the first thing i would do is plan a massive world-scale military attack against every drug cartel, and end this illegal drug thing once and for all.

[edit on 11-2-2009 by DuneKnight]

Originally posted by DuneKnight
plan a massive world-scale military attack against every drug cartel, and end this illegal drug thing once and for all.

It won't work. Police, judges, lawyers, politicians and the military, as well as the Cocaine Importers Agency all have their kickbacks and direct involvement in the drug supply.

The only way to eliminate their power and control is to legalise the drugs and keep lots of people out of prison who don't belong there.

Originally posted by tezzajw

Originally posted by DuneKnight
plan a massive world-scale military attack against every drug cartel, and end this illegal drug thing once and for all.

It won't work. Police, judges, lawyers, politicians and the military, as well as the Cocaine Importers Agency all have their kickbacks and direct involvement in the drug supply.

The only way to eliminate their power and control is to legalise the drugs and keep lots of people out of prison who don't belong there.

dude if you just want to do drugs, just say so, you dont have to make a big commotion about it. but seriously, i understand that politicians benefit from the illegal drug industry in some way however, if we eliminate any area that grows that stuff there wont be a supply in the first place. I can see the pint you are trying to make: basically you want it legalized and then taxed to the max making it unprofitable. but a better idea would be to clean the filth.

How does someone get busted for drugs, anyway? If I partook in illegal pharmaceuticals, I wouldn't buy from anyone on the street- I would grow/make my own in the privacy of my own home. I would only use in my home, not leave the house high or with any drugs on me, nor would I sell any. Generally, people who get caught with drugs do so because they are in the process of committing another crime.

Originally posted by DuneKnight
dude if you just want to do drugs, just say so, you dont have to make a big commotion about it.

No. I don't want to do drugs. I want people who wish to do drugs to be allowed to do it, without ending up in prison.

I can see the pint you are trying to make: basically you want it legalized and then taxed to the max making it unprofitable.

That's not my point either. If drugs are legalised, then people can grow/make/buy their own. You can't tax weed. No one can. It grows too easily in anyone's yard.

Drugs, especially weed, are illegal because they can not be taxed.

Originally posted by DuneKnight
plan a massive world-scale military attack against every drug cartel, and end this illegal drug thing once and for all.

This won't work, and will waste money and lives. There is always, ALWAYS, someone waiting in the wings to take over when the ones currently in control are gone.

Originally posted by DuneKnight
if we eliminate any area that grows that stuff there wont be a supply in the first place.

This statement is absurd. What do you propose to do; nuke 99% of the world's surface? The plants from which our drugs derive grow everywhere and anywhere. In fact, DEA sponsored herbicide programs in South America have only strengthened the industry. The coca plants have now acquired immunity and are growing more hardy than ever before. Yields are increasing with every generation.

So, unless you are willing to kill everyone who has ever be inclined to take up the drug trade, and make all the arable land in the world unable to grow crops, then how can you possibly end the problem once and for all?

I would support the release of non violent prisoners that are in jail due to drug offenses etc.

However, I think that violent prisoners should have to server their time.

Since the passage of the three strikes law, violence in the state has gone down.

reply to post by DuneKnight


I like what you had to say about privatizing prisons, but as many people on this site seem to do, you say it for the wrong reasons.

You simply want to grow the military-industrial complex in this country, expanding the coffers of corrupt law enforcement unions and court officials all in the name of "cleaning" filth, as you put it. How ridiculous is that blanket assertion?

Please go rethink what you have said.

reply to post by tezzajw


They should be executing prisoners to cut costs and to stop crime instead of giving them another chance to molest, steal, rape and kill.

My overcrowding solution is better and I'll pull the switch/trigger.

I have to feel for the prisoners that get released.

When they go to fill out an ordinary application they have to be honest and it is going to seriously limit their hire-ability in a jobless market.

Yes they can get some food stamps for a period of time, but not enough to eat well.

The majority of them will become a burden on their friends and family who more than likely are already stressed from the faltering economy.

There is not much left other than drug dealing and petty theft or crime.

Also this is going to cause much more police profiling and the cycle will eventually return many back to the system.

It has the same earmarks as the Bailouts, it may help in the short time, but in the long run what is needed is more space with human conditions for the jailers and the prisoners.

Question is, when they build more prisons, are they going to have to arrest more people than now just to keep them at capacity?

Remember, not everyone in prison is an arsehole, child molester, a murder or thug. And it really is true, prisons 'are' filled with innocent victims.

Originally posted by Old Knudsen
reply to post by tezzajw

 

They should be executing prisoners to cut costs and to stop crime instead of giving them another chance to molest, steal, rape and kill.

My overcrowding solution is better and I'll pull the switch/trigger.

This is NOT a good idea, and you know just thinking like that, you are not seperating yourself from 'them', what you are doing is setting up a real karmic problem for yourself in the future when sit x hits the fan.

YOU could be in prisioned very easily for your interest in conspiracy sites and without a doubt you already have red flags in your profile!

Tlaking like that just showws your ignorance and even the police hate people who turn on eachother. You DONT know who is innocent or guilty, you are not the judge.

I like the idea of finding an island -
letting them build their own housing -
grow their own food and make a life away from the general public.
Come to think of it -
We should all do that.