"CA Ordered to Reduce Prison Overcrowding by Supreme Court; Guv Says Realignment Vital"

Very interesting article on California City News Website.

The U.S. Supreme Court has finally issued a ruling on California’s overcrowded prisons, and on a 5-4 decision, the state has been ordered to follow a prisoner-release plan devised by a three-judge panel due to the conclusion that overcrowding violated constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Well kudos to the Supreme Court and it's about time the non-violent and petty charge inmates can be put back into society, relieving pressure on the prison system and keeping families together. The prisons have been stretching resources thin for a while now, and it's apparent that we can no longer sustain a Police State at all without severe consequences! The violence will be reduced with less inmates, and the harder criminals will get the attention they deserve.

And it seems that other states may follow suit:

In light of the ruling, other states may also face pressure to reduce prison overcrowding. There were 18 states that supported California’s request to receive more time.

It's about time to get some positive news! What do you think ATS?

reply to post by sheepslayer247


I have a strange feeling that really bad ones will be released.
Ones that should be released,won't be,my mama prediction.
I am a cat who smells a rat!

Just wanted to add the link for the Supreme Court Ruling.
SC PDF

reply to post by mamabeth

You could very well be right, Mama.

Let's hope for our sake and the community that they use the proper guidelines to make those choices. Otherwise they will just end up causing more problems.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


OMG S & F!

Finally the madness is losing its control! Hopefully more states follow suit

reply to post by sheepslayer247


I saw this coming a mile away, maybe 2 miles.
Now that we got Governor Moonbeam back at the helm, he has yet to deny parole and he is cutting budgets.
California police officers are getting laid off by the dozens, multiple dozens that is.
And now we're gonna parole like 37000 criminals!
Woot, we gonna have a good time here!

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Just be aware that many of the criminals put back on the street will be sex offenders; you know child molesters and such. The guidelines used will be behavior while in prison; in other words how much trouble did they cause, did they program? Program means attend classes such as anger management victim awareness in addition to GED. Included also in programming is attendance at religious services of their choice and other such things.

Who knows maybe we will all be lucky and they will be cured or rehabilitated. Well, we can hope. If it was just the petty druggies I'd be all for it and remember I work in a prison. We shall see.

reply to post by g146541

Done the right way, I think this could go along way to easing state budgets and keeping non-violent people out of a corrupt prison system.

That's not to say that if they don't conduct this properly, it could be a turn for the worse.

reply to post by gallopinghordes


Has there been any talk of this sort of legislation in your home state, or prison facility for that matter?

It would be interesting to have an inside perspective.

Bump

I figured more people would have an opinion on this.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Yes, and guess who got released with monitoring bracelets because to cut costs we also cut Community Corrections so we can't monitor in person? Yeah, worked out really well, up until the time a young girl was murdered by a early released sex offender. If they meaning the ones making these decisions would ask those of us who actually work with the inmates we could tell them who has a chance at making it. It might surprise you that in many cases the ones you think can make it won't. In our system 60 percent of those incarcerated are violent offenders which makes way more sense then putting non-violent inmates behind bars.

reply to post by gallopinghordes


I think that non-violent criminals should have the first shot at early release. Drug and other such crimes. Molesters, rapists and such should be considered violent criminals and should not even be considered.

There would surely have to be some wise people at the helm to release those who can succeed best in society after prison.

You seem quite skeptical that this is a good idea at all. Is that because of what you have seen inside?

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Enlighten use how they are suppose to succeed after prison?

Background checks and credit checks will ruin their life.

reply to post by onequestion


There is no way to succeed after prison.

Once stigmatized as a "con" the bar is pretty much locked at an extremely low level.

It's a major reason why recidivism is so high.

Why not just throw in the towel and continue a life of crime? Maybe step up your game and get "good" at crime doing things more violent and brazen then you ever thought you would.

Thanks to your "con" status you wont be allowed to get good at anything else.

reply to post by onequestion


Background and credit checks can effect us all, not just convicted felons.

Maybe we need to change the legal system to simply fine non-violent criminals instead of incarciration. We should never put many of these people in prison to begin with.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Well your not very optimistic.

It's true that there is a stigma attatched to convicts, but I do not think societies misconceptions should hinder us from allowing the petty criminals to have other options than being locked up.

Maybe we need to change the way we think, first.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Some sort of simple restitution for crimes like theft or vandalism and a minimum security housing, direct and immediate consequences for violations while in the program, mandatory counseling situation with mandatory community service (in the thousands of hours) for non-violent yet victimless (no direct restitution applicable) would benefit the community, punish the offender and limit the "hard corruption" that offenders experience in prison which just makes them harder offenders.

Rather than locking people in cells with monsters and turning a blind eye we could punish without ruining and potentially have genuine rehabilitation for once.

Of course we'd all have to stop thinking like barbarians for a moment otherwise NIMBY will take over and we'll be right back to where we started.

This all assumes that anyone actually cares about making anyones life better. Which obviously, as a nation, we have no interest in whatsoever.

reply to post by sheepslayer247


Yes, I am skeptical about this working; once again the ones you think will make it on the outside won't. I've seen inmates released and were right back behind bars before 6 months had passed. Others that I believe would be fine will never be released. Once again we who work daily with inmates should have a great deal of input on their release. Some of the violent offenders would never again be in trouble; it was a one time thing, other non-violent will be back within months.

I hope it works; I really do, matter of fact I'd love to see crime rates plummet but........we can hope. I've just seen too much. Contrary to popular opinion there is no such thing as a victimless crime; some one is always hurt by it maybe not physically but emotionally and financially. Something as simple as shoplifting has victims; the business they stole from and the other customers who are going to have to pay more for products because of the loss. The families of the inmates are also victims; I don't know how many times I've had parents and grandparents cry on my shoulder when I was working public access because they didn't know what they had done wrong or the children who grow up thinking coming to the prison is okay. Inmates who do time with their parents because the criminal lifestyle is a "family affair". Yes, you're right I'm skeptical but I pray it works for California.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

I think community service, and no incarceration, would be the best idea.

As long as they aren't immediate dangers to others it would be best to keep them within a much more stable environment. Prison is not a stable environment.


reply to post by gallopinghordes

I can see how frustrating it would be. For those of us who have no clue, it would be hard theorize the best options for these people. I hope insiders such as yourself are given the opportunity to have some input.