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Supreme Court's scary ruling on state's prisons
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 5/24/11 | Debra J. Saunders

Posted on 05/24/2011 8:13:43 AM PDT by SmithL

The U.S. Supreme Court effectively ordered California on Monday to release 33,000 inmates over two years from an in-state prison population that numbers about 143,000.

Kent Scheidegger of the tough-on-crime Criminal Justice Legal Foundation blogged that Californians shouldn't "bother investing much in a car. It will be open season on cars, given that car thieves (nonviolent offenders) will never go to prison no matter how many times they are caught."

The 5-4 Plata decision upheld a federal three-judge panel that in 2009 found that overcrowding in California prisons is "criminogenic" - likely to produce criminals - and ordered state prisons to run at 137.5 percent of design capacity. The state's prisons are designed to hold 80,000 inmates. (Be it noted, 100 percent capacity means one inmate per cell.)

Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy cited ugly stories of inmates waiting months for needed medical and mental-health treatment - a violation of Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. And: "As many as 54 prisoners may share a single toilet." Kennedy argued, "Prisoners retain the essence of human dignity inherent in all persons."

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: goldenstate; reignofterror; scotus
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To: jpsb
Over 80,000 of California's 170,000 prisoners have committed violent crimes. About 30,000 are in for drug crimes. I'm not sure how were dealers but there are probably few if any for simple possession, particularly for pot.
21 posted on 05/24/2011 8:41:50 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: SmithL

Simple solution. Take the 33000 most violent offenders (start with ALL illegals) and fast track their executions.

Overcrowding resolved.


22 posted on 05/24/2011 8:42:55 AM PDT by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: Old Sarge

We have over 100 people at my work that share 2 toilets.

Come to think of it, I’m in prison and should be released!

“Free Wobbly Bob! Free Wobbly Bob!” “I’m being oppressed!”


23 posted on 05/24/2011 8:44:05 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: SmithL

Amazing...so who is making CA citizens safe and healthy from the Supreme Court?


24 posted on 05/24/2011 8:45:08 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (Fix bayonets!)
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To: SmithL
Sounds like a good time to exercise the 10th Amendment. CA or not, jurisdictions have the right to incarcerate sentenced criminals. We're not talking "black hole of Calcutta" prisons here, we're talking facilities which a large fraction of the world would see as a big step up.


25 posted on 05/24/2011 8:48:02 AM PDT by ctdonath2
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To: SmithL

I could see this becoming a major campaign issue:

These are the kind of decisions one can expect if Obama is allowed to name the next three justices!


26 posted on 05/24/2011 8:51:21 AM PDT by proudpapa
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To: Sans-Culotte
What needs to be done is: build more prisons. Lots of ‘em.

Shovel-ready jobs! The Administration never took my advice on a slew of shovel-ready projects, such as rebuilding I-35 from Brownsville to Minnesota.

I think my big mistake was failing to tell them that electric cars drive on them, too.

27 posted on 05/24/2011 8:51:26 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (If Dick Cheney = Darth Vader, then Joe Biden = Dark Helmet)
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To: SmithL

Headline should read: “DEMOCRATES TO RELEASE 46,000 CRIMINALS”. Sub Head line “Only Criminals Allowed Guns”.


28 posted on 05/24/2011 8:52:44 AM PDT by stubernx98 (cranky, but reasonable)
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To: SmithL

The only purpose of the courts is justice, meaning ensuring that crime is punished.

Letting convicts go prior to the end of their sentence is turning them loose on law-abiding citizens.

The judges who voted for this should be jailed themselves, as their verdict is contrary to their purpose as a judge and is a miscarriage of justice which hurts the innocent and rewards convicted criminals.


29 posted on 05/24/2011 8:53:07 AM PDT by PieterCasparzen (Huguenot)
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To: Owl_Eagle

OK, assume they are all drug dealers. Let them out anyway. How many liquor store owners commit violent crime? The problem isn’t drug dealing. The problem is drug prohibition. End the prohibition and the insane profits go away. End the insane profits and the violence goes away. You can still put people in jail for driving while stoned. You can still let employers screen employees for pot use. You can still have smoke free public spaces and restaurants. But you would lose the violence, the enforcement expense, and the hassle of having to put up with militarized police, tax collectors, and customs agents.


30 posted on 05/24/2011 8:53:10 AM PDT by SeeSharp
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To: SeeSharp
They don't incarcerate Pot Smokers in CA. You pay a $100 fine if they even bother to write you a Citation.

Let's get serious, shall we. The SCOTUS has ruled that it's OK to endanger Law Abiding Citizens, period. This ruling will not just affect CA, it will affect every State.

In CA it is even more serious because the Law Abiding Citizen's here, and that includes me, cannot get a Conceal Carry Permit unless the “Authorities” think you are worthy.

Anyone here want to bet that the Libtards in AZ will use this case to go after Sheriff Joe Arpaio next?

31 posted on 05/24/2011 8:58:24 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (If Sarah Palin was President, you would have a job by now...)
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To: SmithL

This is NOT A DISASTER, it is a Blessing in disguise. If I were Governor I would immediately offer Every Illegal Alien in our prison system a One Way ticket to Washington DC and throw in $200 for Living expenses if they Promise never to come back to California.


32 posted on 05/24/2011 9:01:19 AM PDT by eyeamok
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To: Sans-Culotte

The prison guard union is a major force in CA politics with their contributions. They strongly advocate the three strikes laws even when irrationally applied so as to increase union membership.


33 posted on 05/24/2011 9:27:32 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: PieterCasparzen

Find out where the judges who voted for this live. Rent houses in their neighborhoods and invite the prisoners to live there. Let THEM reap what they sow.


34 posted on 05/24/2011 9:31:02 AM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: ctdonath2

Your second photo looks like my army barracks in the late 1960’s.


35 posted on 05/24/2011 9:41:00 AM PDT by Socon-Econ (Socon-Econ)
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To: SmithL

you folks left in the Golden State should buy them all one-way bus tickets to D.C.


36 posted on 05/24/2011 9:45:53 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Owl_Eagle
If they're ever going to reclaim a functioning society, they ought to build enough prisons to hold 1 million people...

Swift public executions of the top 100 worst criminals would be cheaper and more effective.

37 posted on 05/24/2011 9:52:00 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ( "The right to offend is far more important than any right not to be offended." - Rowan Atkinson)
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To: Oshkalaboomboom

I think that the courts have already ruled that CA cannot export their prisoners to other state that have excess capacity.

WA State is closing prisons and has a brand new prison that the Governor was dragging her feet on staffing. WA offered to take some of CA prisoners for pay, but the courts ruled against it.


38 posted on 05/24/2011 9:58:03 AM PDT by Eva
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To: SmithL

Californians be smart arm yourselves as society will have an extremely difficult time protecting you from the muggers, rapists, drug dealers, thieves , etc that are about to be unleashed on your families. Where has common sense gone?? And Reagan appointed Kennedy.....he must be turning over in his grave.


39 posted on 05/24/2011 10:02:03 AM PDT by kenmcg (pROBLEM)
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To: Owl_Eagle

“removing the criminals from society “

The problem is that we’ve labeled everything a crime. You, too, are a criminal and I bet you commit at least 3 felonies every day without even knowing it.


40 posted on 05/24/2011 10:03:05 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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