Posted on 10/13/2008 10:47:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway
One of the most hotly contested ballot measures this election is Proposition 9, pitting victims' rights versus the rights of prison inmates. Recently, Prop. 9's backers took their campaign into unusual territory: right inside the walls of San Quentin prison.
Proponents of the ballot measure came together with victims of violent crime and men serving time for their deeds. The event was a daylong symposium held inside the prison's Catholic chapel.
"We all as inmates recognize that the victims need rights," said one inmate, while another prisoner said Proposition 9 would "change the rules of the game significantly."
Specifically, Proposition 9 would give victims stronger rights during trials, plea bargains and parole hearings. It would also restrict early-release programs for prisoners to reduce overcrowding. And it requires prisoners accused of the most serious crimes to wait up to 15 years between parole hearings. Under current law, an inmate eligible for parole usually gets a hearing every one to two years.
Prop. 9 backer Mitch Zak, brought his arguments to a room filled with prisoners—even though they can't vote and are almost universally against the proposed law, which could keep many of them behind bars well past their possible release dates.
Zak said that the ballot measure is simply about giving more rights to victims, and "actually create an equal playing field where victims have the same Constitutional rights as inmates and criminal defendants."
"What it does is, it exacerbates our fiscal crisis," pointed out inmate George Lamb, who is serving 25-to-life for conspiracy to commit murder. Lamb's argument against Prop. 9 is that keeping inmates in prison longer is expensive—"To the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars a year," says Lamb, citing figures from California's Legislative Analyst.
As it stands, the state spends an average of $46,000 a year to keep an inmate in prison.
Many of the inmates charged that Proposition 9 is mean-spirited, and that most provisions of the measure are already in existing law. What seemed to bother them the most was the idea of extending the time between parole hearings to 15 years.
"The proponents of this bill say they don't want to take anything away from anyone," said 47-year-old William Packer, who is serving 25-years-to-life for 2nd degree murder. "However Proposition 9 takes away hope. Hope is what makes rehabilitation possible."
Even Jaimee Karroll, a crime victim who was gang-raped at age 9, came to San Quentin to oppose Proposition 9.
"Legislation that's just going to tie people up forever in prisons," said Karroll. "I don't want to be part of it. I don't want my state and my country doing that in my name. And as a voter, I'm not going to support it."
But victims' rights advocate Belinda Harris-Ritter spoke in favor of Proposition 9.
Choking with emotion, she shared with inmates how she still deals with the murder of her parents.
"It's waking up in the middle of the night—for a long time—thinking, 'What's wrong with me?' That my parents were murdered. And it takes a long time to get over that," she said.
In fact, many inmates here say they agree that victims' rights must be protected—but that Proposition 9 is not the way to do it.
Time to make prisons self supporting again. Prison farms, mills, chain gangs etc. They can grow their own food, grow cotton or other crops to pay for cloth, make their own prison clothes etc. It’ll be hard time but what else should they expect from San Quentin?
Wouldn’t that rehabilitate them more effectively than what happens right now?
Sounds good to me.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Oh great, a fiscal conservative lifer. Can we get him to run for governor as we recall Ahnold?
As it stands, the state spends an average of $46,000 a year to keep an inmate in prison.
Money well spent if we can keep these crooks from murdering again. And why don't we have them grow their own food, grow cotton or other crops, make their own prison clothes, make furniture for Government offices (they do), run websites for profit, clean freeway berms, do environmental cleanups, sort recyclables, run hedge funds, etc? Pay your way, criminals!
OK, just kidding (or not?) about the hedge funds ...
And let's vote down the power/money grab in Prop 6 intended to perpetuate feathering the prison guards' nests forever.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I wonder to this day why prisoners aren’t expected to earn their keep.
There’s tons of simple manual labor the most violent thugs could do within the prison walls, and less dangerous offenders could be used for tons of jobs that government workers are paid & pensioned for now.
Here’s my fear......these parole boards are appointed by the Governor (people like Jerry Brown and Grey Davis) and approved by the state Senate (solid democrat).....if we extend the time between hearings to 15 years will they ever deny anyone a parole on the first try? I’d rather see something along the lines of 5 years.
I’ll probably vote yes though.
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