How Prison Unions Helped Create Overcrowding Problem in California

All American Blogger ^ | 5-24-11 | Duane Lester

[Bodhi1]

Let's look at the cause of this problem. California's prison population is far over capacity. Why?

The "three strikes rule," promoted by one of the most powerful lobbies in California — The California Correctional Peace Officers Association — is part of the problem:

In three decades, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association has become one of the most powerful political forces in California. The union has contributed millions of dollars to support "three strikes" and other laws that lengthen sentences and increase parole sanctions. It donated $1 million to Wilson after he backed the three strikes law.

And the result for the union has been dramatic. Since the laws went into effect and the inmate population boomed, the union grew from 2,600 officers to 45,000 officers. Salaries jumped: In 1980, the average officer earned $15,000 a year; today, one in every 10 officers makes more than $100,000 a year.

The above article also details the union's involvement with a victim's rights PAC that lobbies to keep prisoners in prison, increasing the prison population.

[Lance Corcoran, spokesman for the union,] does not deny that the two are closely connected.

"We support a number of victims' rights groups," he said.

When asked why the correctional officers union is involved in victims' rights at all, Corcoran said: "There are people that think that there's some sort of ulterior motive, but the reality is we simply want to make sure [the victims'] voices are heard."

But Corcoran acknowledges that the union has benefited from the increase in the prison population after these laws passed.

The union has also lobbies against the use of private prisons in California. They don't use union guards:

[cripplecreek]

Jenny Granholm accepted California inmates in Michigan with no means of paying for them to keep prison guards working.

[Erik Latranyi]

The California Prison Union backed 107 candidates for the General Assembly.

104 won their seats.

This union OWNS the California Assembly!

Source: LA Times

[choctaw man]

Solution: Just let ALL the tattooed boys out and start all over.

[TexasRedeye]

Solution: Just let ALL the tattooed boys out and start all over.

Or after "three strikes", just execute them! Problems solved.

[pnh102]

Three strikes isn’t the problem. The problem is that California continues to spend money it doesn’t have on things it doesn’t need.

[muawiyah]

The union issue is very secondary to the fundamental problem ~ that these pukes committed too many crimes. If they’d quit being criminals the problem would quickly resolve itself.

[Studebaker Hawk]

Solution: Just let ALL the tattooed boys out and start all over.

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"lamp shades" comes to mind./sarc

[blueunicorn6]

Have those $200,000 a year lifeguards start guarding prisoners.

[BlueMondaySkipper]

I have a solution to part of the exploding costs:

Cut 75% of the time off all sentences.

Now before anyone freaks out, you need to hear the second aprt of my solution:

Hard labor for all prison inmates.

I think that if you made inmates do hard labor during thier sentences, not only could you get a lot of crappy work done, the prisoners would hate it so much that it would be a great deterrent to future crime. 5 years of hard labor is a much bigger punishment that 20 years in the country club. If you add in executions for murderers and rapists and also take away any and all luxuries I think they would soon get the point.