California inmates get early release under new law

[The Straight Story]

California inmates get early release under new law


SACRAMENTO, CA - A new state law will allow California to reduce its prison population by 6,500 inmates over the next year. The law would allow some low-risk inmates to leave prison early and help reduce prison overcrowding.

"It allows our parole agent case loads to be lower and for us to focus on the more dangerous, more serious parolees-at-large," said Gordon Hinkle, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The law expands early release credits for inmates who finish educational and vocational programs. It also stops state monitoring of low-level offenders after their release.

"To just release them out on the street without parole, without supervision, it's scary," said Maggie Elvey.

Elvey's husband was murdered in 1993 by two teens. Even though the law applies to low-risk inmates, Elvey said she's concerned about what could happen.

Crime victims' advocates worry about public safety.

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=73928&catid=2

[rcrush]

1. I hope most of those 6500 inmates are in for drugs.

[Sans Culottes]

2. Absolutely, rcrush.

Release the Pot POWs!

[old mark]

3. PA released murderers and other violent criminals who plea-bargained their charges down up until

last year.
4 such released felons got together within days of their release, stole guns, robbed a bank, killed a Philly cop in the process. They all would have been in prison at the time of that crime had they not been released early.

Of course, the Philly mayor blamed the guns.

mark

[TheMadMonk]

4. Read the OP would ya mate, before climbing up on your high horse.

Those slated for release are low risk fellons. In my opinion most likely to be white colar crims given the relatively low numbers involved.

High risk offenders (including those in for crimes of violence) are not on the release list.

[old mark]

6. Not yet....they were not at first in PA, either - and these guys all took

plea bargains to get lighter charges, hence they were elegible for early release consideration.

I worked in a prison for a while for my degree in social work - I'd love to see all drug posession cases out of prison completely and into a treatment facility.

mark

[pinto]

5. A good start, imo, especially in light of the federal order on the issue:

Federal judges approve California plan to reduce prison overcrowding
Haley Wojdowski
January 13, 2010


A panel of three federal judges on Tuesday approved a revised plan filed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) for reducing prison overcrowding in the state. The new plan includes revisions made possible because of legislative enactments, including summary parole for lower-level offenses to reduce the amount of inmates re-entering the prison system for parole violations and credit earning enhancements to reduce time served. Action on the order will be delayed because the Schwarzennger administration has appealed the prison population reduction order to the US Supreme Court, which is expected to decide whether to take the case later this month .

The CDCR filed the plan in November after the panel rejected the first plan because it did not comply with a federal court order to reduce the prison population . The original plan did not include the legislative enactments but provided various ways of reducing overcrowding, including transferring more prisoners to out-of-state prisons, GPS monitoring of inmates who violate parole, commuting sentences of inmates who are eligible for deportation, and building new facilities or converting unused space. In September, the US Supreme Court refused to grant a request by the state of California to temporarily stay the court order to reduce the prison population, pending appeal.


http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2010/01/federal-judges-approve-california-plan.php

[change_notfinetuning]

7. I'm sure there are 6,500 inmates who could safely be released, The problem

is that we all know the way it will be carried out will, undoubtedly, be a disaster waiting to happen. Just part of the half-assed approach to everything, public and private.

America's prison system is the epitome of incompetence, wrong in theory and practice, for the most part. It is disgracefully inhumane, and insanely expensive with nothing positive to show for it. We could do better. Sen. Webb of Virginia is the only elected official I know of who even brings up the subject because, let's face it, the issue will never win votes. Whatever.

[pinto]

8. Why would it be a disaster waiting to happen? I don't see your point.

I favor broad prison reform (I've worked in a State prison) and see this as one piece of it.

:shrug: