The state budget in California has been agreed upon, and in that budget is a plan to reduce the number of inmates in California prisons by nearly 27,000. Some of those prisoners will not be released straight out, but finish their sentences in home detention, and rehabilitation programs. In the case of home detention, the use of electronic monitoring would be in play. Estimates are that about 6,300 could do time this way. The plan will also scale back on parole supervision for less serious offenders.
The proposal is supposed to save a total of $1.2 billion in the coming year, but how much of that will wind up being spent in the long run because the prisoners released become repeat offenders, and word of a more relaxed prison system reaches the streets and encourages more crime?
The plan also includes a proposal to change some felonies to misdemeanors so inmates could go to county jails instead of prisons. In other words, transfer the problem to the local jails, ensuring that local venues that are also already overcrowded will house more serious offenders with those that commit lesser crimes.
Less severe sentences, and less serious classifications for crimes, removes a deterrent that keeps many potential criminals from committing crimes in the first place. One result of these more relaxed sentencing standards will be an increase in the crime rate, and a more severe prison population problem, which ultimately will cost the state more.
Counties are expected to receive a total of $45 million in the coming year, from federal stimulus funds, to keep inmates on probation instead of sending them to prison, as well. Again, creating an environment more apt to increase crime rates, rather than reduce them.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
By Douglas V. Gibbs
State budget deal reduces prison inmates by 27,000 - Los Angeles Times, Michael Rothfeld
No comments:
Post a Comment