Posted on 07/28/2004 9:33:55 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
In a new sign of strain on California's overcrowded prison system, inmates at 14 lockups are being housed in some of the last spaces available to corrections officials — the "dayrooms," or communal spaces where prisoners watch TV, mingle and play cards.
The emergency move — outlined in a state Department of Corrections memo obtained this week by The Times — is being enacted as new inmates, primarily from Los Angeles County, continue to flood the prison system despite predictions from corrections officials that the convict population would decrease this summer.
For years, state prison officials have found creative ways to deal with chronic overcrowding, often by converting gymnasiums to dormitories. But moving bunk beds and prisoners into dayrooms has raised new safety concerns as convicted felons jostle for a shrinking slice of elbow room. And it has some insiders wondering how much worse the crowding can get.
"This is it — we're to the rim," said Lt. Charles Hughes of the state prison in Lancaster, where four dayrooms are now jammed with full-time inhabitants. "Let's hope people stop committing crime."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Is that a big fat liberal whine, and ACLU sponsored lawsuit I hear? Yep, I think so.
Siberia has pleanty of room
let me get out my violin and play a sorrowful song.
maybe if jaywalking,holding a joint,turning back the speedo on your car weren't all prisonable offences . . .
/sarcasm
ps. at least they can recoup some costs with asset forfeiture on the car speedo one . . .
//sarcasm
I wonder how many of these inmates from LA county are illegals? I've heard estimates that from 14 to 25% of the inmates in California's prisons are illegal aliens - oops, I mean undocumented workers.
Interesting article. Next we'll be hearing human rights groups complaining that we have too many people locked up, and we saw quotes in this article that the prisoners aren't being treated "humanely". Boo hoo.
When is California going to start taking responsibilty for their poor decisions? Stop your whining, already.
So does the Mojave desert. I believe that there is a 3 million acre tortoise preserve out there somewhere which could be spruced up to accommodate a few ala the Arizona model.
"Seems to me that in addition to not building power plants, California also chose not to build prisons."
it's a two for one deal. what comedian had this idea?
"we'll let inmates pedal bikes that produce electricity and route some of it to a chair. those who won't pedal can sit in the chair"
;-)
prison and powerplant in one.
Most of them don't need space, except in the cemetary.
One shot to the head would pretty much do it.
Make a deal with the Russians. Re open some labor camps, rehire their guards, and pay them to deal with our worst prisoners. Then there would not be a lack of space.
Some people stay in these dimensions; length 84 inches; width 28 inches, and height 23 inches, thanks to some of these inmates.
The above dimensions are for a standard casket.
Sounds like George Carlin. But I'm guessing.
I read an interesting article years ago by a builder who designed a underground prision underground in death valley that could house 500,000 people or more as demand dictated since it was designed to be easily expanded and be pretty self-sustaining. All you would see above ground is a runway for transporting convicts....there were no fences for obivious reasons. Sunlight was reflected downwards for lighting a recreation area. Was pretty darn creative.
I doubt it ever get built. it is too simple and low cost to maintain. State govts seem to like exspensive/ugly above ground prisions that are limited.
Talk about outsourcing.
Actually, they were considering building a new death row prison under Gray Davis, since CA rarely executes more than one death row convict a year and the old one was getting "too crowded." The CA government failed to see the obvious solution -- that is, to execute those death row inmates before they die natural deaths.
When is California going to start taking responsibilty for their poor decisions? Stop your whining, already.
The power shortage and the prison space shortage would be dramatically reduced if the federal government would enforce immigration law rapidly enough to prevent illegal aliens from staying long enough to bear and raise many children or to commit the violent crimes that the Americans won't commit.
The problem with not executing prisoners, though, is CA's own fault, and we'll keep whining as long as the government doesn't do what we want them to do.
Plenty of those who are not violent can use lower security prisons and/or have shorter prison terms. The prison guards union got Davis to close some non-union prisons that were more efficient/economical for the nonviolent or lower security inmates.
Regarding the 3 strikes law, the prosecutor has discretion when deciding whether or not to request the extra sentencing, so they can choose not to apply the strikes to petty criminals. The 3 strikes (at least the first two) are separate felony convictions, and most prisoners subject to the extra sentencing have long criminal records.
IMO, the power shortage occurred because California hadn't built a major power station in what, 15 years? Too polluting, I guess. Let the other states pollute their environment and California will just pay for the power -- and pay they did.
The illegals? I have little sympathy. California has a National Guard, State Police, and local law enforcement. Round 'em up and ship 'em home. Oh, the federal government doesn't like that?
Well, my my. Since when does California care? The federal government doesn't like California's medical marijuana laws either, but that surely didn't stop the legislature and the courts from allowing basically anyone to smoke a joint.
I agree that federal non-action on the illegals is a big unfunded mandate on the citizens of California -- I would give Congress 90 days to come up with $5 billion/year. On the 91st day I call out the National Guard. Period.
Yup. Use solar energy for power. If they want TV, they have to use stationary bikes to generate the power.
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