Steep Inmate Decline Slated

Sacramento Bee ^ | John Hill

[Scenic Sounds]

California's prison population is expected to drop by 15,000 in the next year and a half as the result of budget-cutting measures that could lead to units or entire facilities being closed, the state Department of Corrections said Wednesday.

That would represent a decrease of almost 10 percent, a significant reversal from years of steadily increasing numbers in the badly overcrowded prison system.

[Scenic Sounds]

Shouldn't release priority be given to inmates willing to move to other western states?

[SAJ]

Translation: you stupid voters won't give us any more money to p*ss away, so we'll fix you by releasing thousands of criminals onto the street.

Bah.

[Scenic Sounds]

Translation: you stupid voters won't give us any more money to p*ss away, so we'll fix you by releasing thousands of criminals onto the street.

Bah.

I think it's a bit like a pendulum. For years, politicians competed with one another with new and better ideas for locking up more people for longer periods of time. Governments have always loved prisons and jails.

Now, though, is a time for budget-cutting. Nothing is sacred. ;-)