Supreme Court Orders CA to release Tens of Thousands of Prisoners (San Bernardino: fingerprints, violent crime)

[majoun]

Originally Posted by TimC2462

Bravo for extreme liberalism.

Tony Kennedy is hardly a liberal. He got on the court due to being one of Reagan's best buddies and agreeing with Ronnie on every issue. He's part of the conservative majority of the court and usually rules in favor of law enforcement.

You must be confusing him with the other Californian on the SCOTUS, Stephen Breyer.

Note Reagan himself as governor released quite a few prisoners to save the state money, in an indiscriminate fashion. Conservative governors like Florida's Rick Scott are doing massive prisoner releases to save their states money. Arnold and Brown could have prevented this larger release by doing smaller releases, but didn't due to fear of angering the CCPOA. So everyone else could pay for their cowardice in the face of special interests.

I'm opposed to this being done in an indiscriminate fashion (which is unfortunately how it's always been done), but would support the release of the elderly (other than those who've committed notorious murders), nonviolent drug users, prostitutes, and petty nonviolent offenders with no gang ties.

[maja]

Guess Californians just have to make a tough choice: a) pay for violent criminals to serve their time or b) pay for fitted sheets in hotels per the Unions demands.

California: Million Dollar Sheets on the Taxpayer's Dime | The Foundry

"The California hotel workers union is pushing a bill that requires all hotel mattresses to have fitted sheets instead of flat sheets. They argue that the heavy lifting required for flat sheets is causing back injuries for workers. The problem is, the regulation comes with a price tag of $30-$50 million dollars charged to the taxpayers, according the California Hotel and Lodging Association."

[xani]

Originally Posted by bulldogdad

We can set up tent camps in Marin County if you like to ease the over crowding. That ought to help out the integration and diversity issues just uncovered recently with that county.

[xani]

Originally Posted by yeahthatguy

I've got a .45 so I'll sleep just fine at night ....

Too bad that in CA, if they come for you in your place, you're likely to be the the one to be prosecuted. I mean these people even successfully sued a homeowner for being injured while taking a fall during a burglary.

[CaliDude1]

Does everything have to seen through the liberal/conservative lens? Can there ever be an adult conversation on this forum without resorting to liberal/conservative talking points?

Anyway, the fact is we need to reexamine our incarceration practices. The so-called War on Drugs has been an abject failure and has only driven up our taxes as we pay to house more and more drug related offenders. Let some of the of the non-violent offenders walk. This was bound to happen sooner or later. The state just can't afford to lock everyone up and throw away the key anymore. A couple of years ago the New York Times estimated the average cost to house a prisoner in California for a year to be about $47,000. That doesn't even count the costs associated with working them through the legal system. The tough on crime mantra has gotten excessive and backfired horribly for the state of California. Of course someone is going to take this to mean I support releasing murders and rapists. That would be foolish. But locking up small time drug dealers for multiple years is fiscally irresponsible. That is especially true when we consider the demand for illicit drugs has been largely unaffected by locking up so many of those dealers.

Are there unintended consequences? Dang straight there are. Those guys released will more than likely not be able to find employment. So they will end up on the government dole one way or another. My guess is it would still be cheaper than having them locked up in state prisons. Who knows, some may leave the state altogether. There are a number of different poisons to choose from. The state seems to have chosen the worst one.

[xani]

Originally Posted by CaliDude1

Does everything have to seen through the liberal/conservative lens? Can there ever be an adult conversation on this forum without resorting to liberal/conservative talking points?

Anyway, the fact is we need to reexamine our incarceration practices. The so-called War on Drugs has been an abject failure and has only driven up our taxes as we pay to house more and more drug related offenders. Let some of the of the non-violent offenders walk. This was bound to happen sooner or later. The state just can't afford to lock everyone up and throw away the key anymore. A couple of years ago the New York Times estimated the average cost to house a prisoner in California for a year to be about $47,000. That doesn't even count the costs associated with working them through the legal system. The tough on crime mantra has gotten excessive and backfired horribly for the state of California. Of course someone is going to take this to mean I support releasing murders and rapists. That would be foolish. But locking up small time drug dealers for multiple years is fiscally irresponsible. That is especially true when we consider the demand for illicit drugs has been largely unaffected by locking up so many of those dealers.

Are there unintended consequences? Dang straight there are. Those guys released will more than likely not be able to find employment. So they will end up on the government dole one way or another. My guess is it would still be cheaper than having them locked up in state prisons. Who knows, some may leave the state altogether. There are a number of different poisons to choose from. The state seems to have chosen the worst one.

All the housing subsidies, Medical and food stamps for them will cost much more than then cost of incarceration... most of these people are popping kids all the time and will have access to welfare in CA (which is only for indiscriminately breeding in this state, not for single people who fell on hard times).

But it's bull**** that CA hosts tons of non-violent, innocent offenders... It's pretty damn hard to get to be sent to prison in CA, actually. One has to be repeat offender for that. Otherwise, endless options are available, probations, community service, fines, working as informants, reductions to misdemeanor that result in county jail, not prison time, etc. CA makes the best effort not to put non-dangerous people in prison actually, by trying to collect the most fines instead, since they know they have no room for people. Instead, a lot of violent ones who NEED to be incarcerated, ARE ON THE STREETS already--just take a drive around LA and Inland Empire, if you don't know what I"m talking about.

[yeahthatguy]

Originally Posted by xani

Too bad that in CA, if they come for you in your place, you're likely to be the the one to be prosecuted. I mean these people even successfully sued a homeowner for being injured while taking a fall during a burglary.

Agreed the gun laws suck in California ....However, as a legal certified/trained gun owner, I know the law.. Someone would be dead and I a free man if my life was endangered in my home.. As for out in the street, I just stay away from east bay and rely on street smarts (as calif. doesn't allow CCW). But yes, this adds to California's woes .. Along w/ the liberal policies towards illegal immigrants and even crime committing ones. Those exiting jail have a rap sheet and w/ an unemployment rate as high as we have of non-criminals.. it will be hard for a convicted and incarcerated criminal to find employment.. that leads to either crime/drain on social services.

[xani]

Originally Posted by yeahthatguy

Agreed the gun laws suck in California ....However, as a legal certified/trained gun owner, I know the law.. Someone would be dead and I a free man if my life was endangered in my home.. As for out in the street, I just stay away from east bay and rely on street smarts (as calif. doesn't allow CCW).

Well, like the cops say in California: you better drag them inside a home if you shoot them.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Hey, didn't Joan Baez used to sing about not being happy until all the prison's were destroyed?

Yeah man, great man, stick it to the Man, man! Power to the convicts! / sarc

[xani]

China would have no problems here.... they'd build a factory with prison blocks around (by these very prisoner), or sent everyone to work in agriculture. US has to allow illegals in, to get agri workers... yet can't control the prison situation. How can this be explained? Oh yeah, it's unconstitutional... it's constitutional to rape, rob and kill and then live off the state watching tv.