Prison report: The feds will take overBy Just A Guy
Editors note: Just A Guy is an inmate in a California state prison. His dispatches run twice a week.
Well, how do I put this? There’s really only one way: I told you so.,
Below is my blog posted on 9/16/09 in which I address the non-plan plan, in which I predicted what would happen.
I find it laughable that Gov. Schwarzenegger says he’s furious at the three-judge panel’s comdemnation of the state government’s weak plan and said that it is not the feds place to interfer with state government running prisons.
It’s like the biggest secret everyone knows -- California officials can’t wait to wash their hands of the prison fiasco and have the feds take over so they can avoid the perceived political suicide of early releases.
My next prediction is that the plan due in less than three weeks will still not measure up and the feds will take over. Enjoy the repost.
I am constantly amazed at the cowardice of the politicians who are running this state. The Legislature passed the prison bill, reducing the population by 16,000 inmates -- but this is a watered-down bill that still leaves $200 million more for California to wrest from other areas, like education and health care.
No one wants to be seen as soft on crime -- but a lot of the crimes people are in prison for are moral crimes. Any crime in which there is not an actual victim -- that is, a person or entity -- should not be a crime, period.
Eighteen percent of the inmates in California are in for drug-related crimes -- possession or sales. That’s roughly 30,000 people. Why not let all of them out, now?
Politicians seem only able to describe the decisions they make when they are accused of something -- rarely do we see a thoughtful conversation held about a topic that necessitates a dialogue. Like the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, these legislators do what they want, when they want, to whom ever they want, but hide behind the veil of public safety when questioned about their actions -- which will, in the long term, harm public safety.
I don’t understand how the general public keeps allowing this ridiculous spending on prisons to go on unquestioned. Are the voters so caught up in their own little worlds to not realize the long-term impact of the terrible laws and terrible system? It must be -- because it keeps going on, unchecked.
The president’s health-care reform plan has the public screaming and yelling and talking about long-term costs etc. But they can’t seem the forest for the trees when it comes to prison spending. It goes to show how shortsighted people can be when it comes to their own wallets. It’s akin to never getting your home checked for termites, then being surprised when the house comes crashing down around you, but the chimney still stands.
It’s pretty obvious that the plan in Sacramento is really to just allow the feds to come in and take over the problem. California has until Friday to show the court its plan to replace the prison pop by 43,000 over the next two years. Right: They can’t even figure out how to reduce it by 27,000 over one year. You think they’ll come up with a workable plan by Friday?
The Supreme Court already denied CA’s appeal to extend the deadline.
Mass releases -- coming soon, to a theater near you.
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Comments (5)
The state profits from the human bondage industry, they have no motivation to cut it back. The lawmakers are the puppets for the law enforcement labor unions who bought them into office.
The "voters" should be the three million people related to a state prisoner and all the people that they can register in poor neighborhoods. Until that actual organizing work happens, there will be no meaningful prison reform. California runs on groups, individuals without a group simply have no voice. Law enforcement's officials are not going to do anything to cut back on prisons.
There is a chance to change about 20 laws at once by working for two initiatives called the California Constitutional Convention, but those 3 million citizens who would benefit from it are asleep. There is still time, about 79 days left to get it on the ballot. Instead Repair California (read Chevron and other corporations of the Bay Area Council) will begin their signature campaign for different initiatives within the next few days.
Expect the corporations to expand prison building to the moon.
The "voters" are us. The Receiver is already phasing himself out, there is a deal struck for building only one hospital, when the corporations finish re-writing the State Constitution (with our full permission due to our inaction) nothing will be the same.
The judges are elderly, they may do the releases themselves but they are never going to "take over the system." Our apathy has paved the way for the corporations to take over now. If not Repair California, it will be the legislator's plan California Forward.
The people's plan, California Constitutional Convention which could change all the harsh laws and even eliminate many prisons is just sitting there dying for funds and volunteers as usual when anything good happens for our side.
Organizing can't be skipped in the process. The "voters" us have to stop expecting a rescue. It can't come without them...
Posted by Susan1union1 | October 26, 2009 04:10 PM
Just a guy obviously knows how the system works, he is right on. Thank you for a well written, albeit sarcastic article.
It is true that incredible profits are made on the prison industrial complex and that the law and order crowd has the politicians in their pocket or backed into the "soft on crime" corner.
Where is the outrage to this bizarre situation? Organize and vote before it is too late.
Posted by formaya | October 26, 2009 09:59 PM
they just need to free the low risk inmates
Posted by melissa | October 27, 2009 03:36 PM
thank you for telling us the way it really is for those locked up. i recently stumbled upon your writings and look forward to reading everything you write. i'm leaning more & more towards legalizing pot. how many people are locked up for this crime in prisons? it seems like such a waste of our resources to lock people up for this "crime." i say let these people out. i hope the feds to take over. YA BAY-BEE.
Posted by LIFEisBEAUTIFUL | October 27, 2009 05:16 PM
Thanks for the excellent article, the first I've seen by Just A Guy. I hope someday he writes about parole denials for serious offenders whose sentences include the word, "life", but who are not, or no longer are, a threat to society.
Posted by Pray4Peace | October 27, 2009 09:20 PM