Releasing criminals not the answer

Fixing California's overcrowded prison system

By Bryant Milesi
From the February 2008 Print Edition

One of the most critical issues facing California in 2008 is the crisis in the state prison system. The problem stems from simply having more prisoners in the system than available room, which has brewed more than a year of panic and frustration among state officials. The prison system is supposed to have around 100,000 prisoners, but over the years the number has continued to rise to about 200,000 without any effective state action. The Democrats in Sacramento have been promoting an early-release solution for prisoners and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently considered the plan. However, rather than having an early release of prisoners, California needs to remain focused on building more prisons and reforming the rehabilitation process to solve the overcrowding crisis.

The plan by the governor and Democrats would call for early release of about 20,000 nonviolent criminals who have less than 20 months left to serve. However, an early release of prisoners is not the right step to take for relieving the prison system because it sends the message that it is not important for criminals to serve their full sentences. Last July, the governor was firmly against early release, stating, “We are meeting the challenge head-on to make sure that no prisoner is ever released because of overcrowding.” It is important for the prisoners to serve their full sentence because the state has to remain tough on the law of sentencing. The state needs to show its citizens that it can solve the prison crisis without jeopardizing decades of effort toward firm sentencing laws. An early release would also be harmful to the citizens and communities throughout California because the prisoners would not go though the full length of procedures for rehabilitation. It is not safe to have an early release of some 20,000 prisoners.

Therefore, the governor and the state Legislature need to remain focused on building more prisons as the most effective solution to the overcrowding. According to Republican Assemblyman Jim Silva, R-Huntington Beach, “The truth is that California’s prisons are overcrowded for one reason: Lawmakers have failed to build more prisons, ignoring the growth in our prison population over the past few decades.” An important step taken by the governor and legislators was a prison-reform package last April, which put $7.8 billion toward the development of more prisons in the next few years.

Also, the development of more prisons in California will help in the overall reform of the state prisons system because it provides the opportunity for better and safer housing for the criminals. Most of the state’s prisons are old and do not provide many safeguards or barriers against violence among the different assortment of gangs inside. Building new prisons allows the developers to put in place solutions to ease the overcrowding and also the chaos that occurs in the prisons. Increasing space through the development of more prisons, not the early release of prisoners, has to remain the top priority for politicians in Sacramento.

Rehabilitation is also a crucial process in relieving the stress of overcrowding on the California prison system. With the highest recidivism rate in the country at 70 percent, reforming the rehabilitation process for criminals has to be a major focus in a prison package. According to Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines, “Improving these [rehabilitation] programs is the best way to make progress in reducing our unacceptably high recidivism rate.” A significant focus of the rehabilitation programs has to be on educational and vocational training. Motivating the criminals to pursue greater education and wider understanding of the world may help in making them more productive in society. Along with educational knowledge, vocational training will help the prisoners find jobs that interest them and that they can become efficient at. Developing the skills and knowledge necessary for different job opportunities is vital for rehabilitation-reform plans.

Also, rehabilitation programs should emphasize the importance of living within a community in the state. Making the prisoners better connected and active throughout the community will hopefully help them develop into law-abiding citizens. Whether the prisoner becomes connected through church groups or certain outreach programs, it will be beneficial for everyone if the prisoner feels that he has a contributing role within his community and in the greater society.

The California prison system is in dire need of reform. The prisons are well over maximum capacity and the state Legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger have been slow to relieve the problem. There was significant progress last April with the passing of the $7.8 billion reform package to build more prisons. Yet an early-release plan of more than 20,000 prisoners in 2008 will not only damage the state’s tough stance on crime, but it will also put the people of California in danger.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting the Patriot