An article “Judge Tells Calilfornia to release 40,000 Inmates” goes on to explain “The federal three-judge panel in February made a tentative ruling pointing toward release. On Tuesday the judges ordered the state in 45 days to prepare a plan to cut overcrowding to 137.5 percent of capacity.”
WATCHDOG: Before the Commissioners commit the county to the huge cost of building a new prison, much thought should be given to the nature of the prisoners. Are they violent? Are they criminal? Or are many persons who are there for minor offenses related to drug use and could be better treated elsewhere with better effect and far less cost to the tax payers.
Two examples: General Hospital could expand the newly initiated Suboxone clinic from one morning a week to full time and probably return a few hundred addicts to productive roles as employees and family members. The county might also expand the availability of Half Way facilities, thus providing supervision and yet facilitating a return to productive lives.
Amen.
It’s idiotic how we keep building more prisons to lock up so many non-violent offenders. Much of that is, of course, due to our “War on Drugs”. Truly ridiculous is when mandatory minimums force officials to release violent offenders early to keep non-violent drug offenders behind bars.