UNION Campaign to Support a Prison Cap
Published in the California Progress Report - the comments beneath the article are made by eight families of prisoners and people who want to see a prison cap. Where's your family when we need posters? Send them to help with the work and learn the issues because the prison cap will mostly likely be signed but it will go to appeal. Only a large, funded citizen's group can make sure that it sticks! That means YOU and your loved ones need to help us wage this battle (and others). This will affect all sentencing laws, all parole, and issues related to every California prisoner and parolee. We need an army and a war chest to make it all come out right but there is tremendous hope. Rev. B. Cayenne Bird http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/06/romero_predicts.html June 28, 2007. 8 comments. Topic: Prison Reform Romero Predicts Three Federal Judge Panel Will Be Appointed--One That May Cap California's Prison Population
By Frank D. Russo Eight blocks from the state Capitol, two Federal Court Judges held an unusual hearing for two and a half hours on the appointment of a three judge panel which would determine whether California's prison system needs to have a cap on its inmate population to alleviate overcrowding because of its deleterious impact on the health care received by inmates that they have both ruled to not meet constitutional standards. State Senator Gloria Romero sat in the front row of the courtroom. After hearing the judges express their skepticism about whether the state was making real progress and the argument by the state's attorney that they should allow more time for compliance with multiple orders that date back to the 1990's, Romero predicted that the judges would convene a three judge panel--one that could order a change in California's sentencing laws and even early release of some prisoners as a remedy. This attorney and the other reporters in the courtroom all came to the same conclusion. California is running out of time and the wheels seem set in motion for some more Federal Court orders because of the dysfunctional way our elected state leaders--Governor and legislators--have failed to take action. Whichever way the judges rule, there will be an appeal, but time is running out. The judges clearly are reluctant players in their role and would prefer that the state government be the body to take action. U.S. Judge Lawrence Karlton of Sacramento on more than one occasion told attorneys for the state, "I just can understand what you're saying," to the laughter of many of the family members of prisoners who packed the largest courtroom in the federal courthouse. He also said: "I actually had the delusion that we would someday get out of this system and it's clear that in the last year and a half, two years, with all of the work, with all of the effort, there's been a backsliding that's perceptible." To arguments that the receiver, Robert Sillen, who he appointed to take over the prison medical system should be given more time, and a parallel argument that in light of AB 900, the prison construction and "reform" law recently enacted, more time is needed, an exasperated Federal Judge Thelton Henderson, who traveled to Sacramento from his courtroom in San Francisco, noted that "people are dying." Later on, he asked directly of Lisa Tillman, the Deputy Attorney General for California: "Are you saying that the state hasn't been given a chance?" He rejected the challenge to testimony that had been given about one prison death occurring every 6 to 7 days and that the state was not responsible, saying "These people are dying and they shouldn't be dying." Henderson noted that when he appointed Sillen two years ago, he was told that it would take 3 to 5 years to clean up the prison health mess. However, Henderson recalled that shortly thereafter Sillen responded in open court "Good golly, or words to that effect, 'This is going to take 5 to 10 years.'" When the Governor's attorney argued that Governor Schwarzenegger was committed to prison reform and that he doesn't make the sentencing laws, it was clear that the judges don't want to get into the question of who's to blame, they just want action. Karlton said: "It's not a question of blame. It's not that you are bad people--there may be questions of competence, but that's another question." Karlton's case involves the state's inadequate mental health treatment in prisons that has led a number of suicides. He was not mollified by the state's argument that now only one-third of the prisoners who need mental health treatment are not getting it. Henderson read pleadings by the state that said that he had been "aggressively" trying to rectify the problem and mocked the state's argument that "6 months ago we really kicked in…70 orders over this time..But now it's a new day." He said that even taking the view that the Governor is committed to prison reform, "Isn't the problem that while he is, we have Senators saying 'I will never agreed to anyone getting out one day earlier?" Noting the press releases from the Governor's office he had his clerk pull and the lack of mention of sentencing reform in recent ones, he asked the question about the Governor, "Is he a victim to the system?" referring to problems the Governor is having with fellow Republican lawmakers. Karlton said that the legislature and the Governor are free to adopt a plan tomorrow. If they enacted one that worked, he said he "wouldn't even consider what is being asked." As to mental health treatment, he continued, "But there's no evidence at all that that's going to happen. …A third of the population is getting no adequate care. We don't have staff, we don't have beds, we can't reach them." Near the end, Henderson said: "This hearing has reaffirmed that there is a problem and that the current system won't solve the problem." CommentsStephanie Gooding June 28, 2007 at 07:56 AM
There was a sea of pink flowers in the audience Row upon row of families of prisoners from the UNION, United for No Injustice, Oppression or Neglect were in the audience, more than 100 inside the courtroom and about 100 more overflowing into the foyer. So many in fact that they played musical chairs so that those who traveled from as far away as San Diego could spent at least some time witnessing the hearing. The pink flowers symbolized hope and trust, that people in power are going to recognize and act upon their immeasurable suffering. They wanted to deliver a message that the UNION has been organizing the necessary voting block to change the laws for many years now that will be active in filing lawsuits for abuses and wrongful deaths of their loved ones and bringing the poor by the busloads to vote out people who oppose reform bills in the future. There is zero support for out of state prisoner transfers in the UNION or AB 900 both of which are non-solutions to the problem. Imagine that, the families can organize and show up. One other thing worth mentioning, some who are very desperate for help from people who are considered to be in charge of the reform, waited until after the hearing so that they could speak to people like Attorney Michael Bien. He had plenty of time to speak with the radio broadcasters but brushed the desperate family members who approached them off with total disinterest. He might be on the right side but none of these people including Sillen are responding to emergencies. Just tell them you're a reporter though and they have all kinds of time for you. Great article Mr. Russo. Michael Westmoreland June 28, 2007 at 01:56 PM
You can certainly tell how clueless the lawmakers are about what would constitute prison reform. Transferring prisoners out of state and expanding a failed agency under a silly plan such as AB 900 didn't appear to be flying with the judges at all. At least for once the prison guards were honest about not being able to staff the facilities that they have, let alone expanding to need many more. The families of the UNION overflowing the courtroom was a clear message that they do know how to organize and get out the vote. The three million people attached to a prisoner are being taught how to bring people to the polls to vote against dumb-on-crime politicians who think that everything will change in a sick person's life if they just lock them in cages and torment them. The families are on the move and everyone is being taught to register the poor to vote. It is the poor who cannot fight back for themselves in a system that is corrupt arrest through parole. Judges Henderson and Karlton are absolutely legends in their own time, how can the families that have been destroyed by all this tough on crime nonsense every repay them? Organizing to be able to prevent such a police state and so much injustice in the first place is ultimately the only way and the judges are well aware of that fact. But we are all praying that they don't retire just yet as we are still building our mobilization, filing more lawsuits, teaching people to notify the media of all deaths, riots, disease outbreaks Leah June 28, 2007 at 11:06 PM
The Governor's office and the Legislature cannot fool Judges Karlton and Henderson. These two men understand that politics overrides needs, and these politicians are scared silly not to appear tough on crime. The public must be educated as to how their tax dollars are being wasted and how they are being told whatever their legislator thinks they want to hear. Prisoners are human beings. Even if they commit an inhumane crime, two wrongs will never make a right and our judicial system must carry out this attitude. Winston Churchill said that a society can be judged by the way it treats its prisoners. Where does that leave us? Uncivilized, mean spirited and completely unforgiving. It is embarassing and shameful. We are the laughing stock of Western Europe. At the rate we are incarcerating people, every American family will be affected by this binge of imprisonment. Our tough on crime crowd will do a big about face when it is their family member affected. Buchanan June 29, 2007 at 07:29 AM
So many times we read negative comments about our prisoners. No one seems to care if they are tortured, or denied medical care. The problem is that many are there because of being undereducated, and low income. Morris1 June 29, 2007 at 08:42 AM
Corruption in California runs deep. Over the years voters have been duped into passing extreme bills that give law enforcement unfettered control of the legal system. The punishments no longer fit the crimes. There is no even handed justice. The same crime may get you probation or 10 years in prison. There are hundreds of DA's just like Mike Niphong in the "Duke Rape Case" trying to make a name for themselves. They overcharge, embellish and just plain lie and have to prove nothing. They can make statements in court that influence a jury without any justification or evidence. The accused know this so they are petrified to go to trial. 95% of California cases are plead out because of whate DA's can do. DA's and their investigators lie, intimdidate and coerce them into prison. They hang life sentences over people because Nora Weber June 29, 2007 at 08:52 AM
It was a day to behold as one that will bring much change the torture camps of the U.S. called California Prisons. Thank God for two very brave Judges such as Henderson and Karlton. It is time someone took a stand against such a corrupt prison system. The operators of the prison should be in prison themselves for what they are doing to promote the torture and medical neglect of a human being. U.N.I.O.N. members were in their Court room in force and Nora Weber passed out packages of her sick and dying son Mark Grangetto. Keep up the good fight UNION folks we are making head way. Fiona Q. June 29, 2007 at 09:10 AM
I'm grateful to these judges for honoring the humanity of all people. cadustin June 29, 2007 at 10:40 AM
I pray the judges continue to show the state of California that just because someone commits a crime does not mean they need to be treated inhumanely.
----------- http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/245775.html Hearing looks at limit on inmatesBy Andy Furillo - Bee Capitol BureauPublished 12:00 am PDT Thursday, June 28, 2007
Two federal judges indicated Wednesday that they are leaning toward creating a judicial panel charged with setting a population cap for California's prison system. In their comments and questions from the bench, U.S. District Court Judges Thelton Henderson and Lawrence Karlton strongly suggested during a joint hearing in Sacramento federal court that inmate overcrowding is contributing mightily to constitutional violations of inadequate medical and mental health care in the state's prisons. They also said the constitutional violations are getting worse. Karlton and Henderson took under submission the matter of setting up a three-judge panel. They gave no indication when they would issue a ruling. There was little mistaking, however, which way the judges were headed in their upcoming decision. At one point in the two-hour and 15-minute hearing, Karlton interrupted Paul Mello, a private attorney retained by the state, to tell him, "I just can't understand what you're saying." The judge, who is presiding in Sacramento in the inmate class-action mental health case settled in 1995, told the lawyer, "People are dying." The question, Karlton said, is whether "in the absence of a three-judge panel, is there any hope" that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation could bring itself into constitutional compliance in the way it's running the prison system. After 12 years and 70 orders he has imposed on the state, Karlton said, the evidence is "that the answer is no." "What's happened," the judge added, "is that overcrowding has made it impossible." In Henderson's case in San Francisco, the state admitted in 2002 that it was violating inmates' constitutional rights by providing them with inadequate medical care, to the point where one inmate was dying due to medical neglect every week. Henderson has since appointed Robert Sillen as the federal receiver to run the prison medical system. Mello argued Wednesday that Sillen is making headway. Henderson, however, characterized the receiver's progress as adding up to "little successes." The judge noted that when Sillen first took over, the receiver said it would take him three to five years to fashion a constitutional fix. Sillen is now saying it will take him five to 10 years. "So we're further behind now," Henderson said. Inmate rights lawyers filed motions last November that argued for creating a three-judge panel, saying that overcrowding impedes delivery of constitutionally required medical and mental health care. If the lawyers prevail, the panel would hold hearings on a prisoner release order. Karlton said that the courts imposing a population cap would amount to a "very radical" step and possibly create a "public safety danger." Plaintiffs' lawyer Michael Bien countered that that "it would be radical not to act" in face of the prison system's overcrowding crisis. "This is not a radical step," Bien said. "It's something the law provides for." The plaintiffs' attorneys said after the hearing Wednesday they thought they had made their case and that the judges are leaning in their direction. "They were raising some thoughtful questions," said Prison Law Office directing attorney Don Specter, the lawyer on the medical care case. "I think they were more aggressive with the other side than they were with us. I take that as a hopeful sign." Bien, co-counsel with Specter on the mental health case, said it appeared to him that the judges were "quite concerned." "My reading is they're unwilling to allow this crisis to continue unfettered and that we have convinced them that overcrowding is undercutting any possible effort to remedy the medical and mental health violations," Bien said. Attorneys for the state argued during the hearing that the recently enacted prison construction plan, Assembly Bill 900, will ease overcrowding and help the state meet its obligations to prisoners on medical and mental health matters. They said that the plaintiffs' lawyers didn't mention overcrowding as problems in their cases until last November's filing of the motion for the three-judge panel. The state's legal team suggested that prisoner release orders of the magnitude raised in plaintiffs' court papers would be unreasonable. "Are plaintiffs really suggesting we release 37,000 inmates?" Mello said, referring to a filing that cited a 2004 Corrections Independent Review Panel figure of 137,764 as the "maximum safe and reasonable" population for California's prisons. The current inmate population is approximately 173,000. The state's lawyers declined to comment after the hearing. Bill Maile, a spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the administration is "confident in the case we presented to the court against imposing a population cap." Maile said a prisoner release order would endanger public safety and that it "will not solve the problems identified by the plaintiffs in these cases." Wednesday's hearing was attended by federal receiver Sillen and Michael Keating, the special master monitoring the mental health case. Both said in recent court filings that overcrowding is making their jobs more difficult. Neither took a position in their filings on the issue of creating the three-judge panel. State Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, also attended the hearing. She said afterward it appeared to her that the judges were on the verge of approving the motion. "It seems that the political system is paralyzed and it's going to take an independent branch of government to step in and get that system moving," Romero said.
UNION Supports Prison Cap en MasseSacramento, California (June 27, 2007) The family members of our UNION traveled from as far away as San Diego to be at the Federal Court in Sacramento, Wednesday, in order to show support for a prison cap. Not everyone present has a loved one in prison, many UNION people are doctors, teachers, nurses and social workers in the professions who are united in the philosophy that prisons are doing more to create crime than to prevent it. See Also:
Copyright © 2007, NewsBlaze, Daily News
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How We Managed to Get Prison Reforms on the Table - Wed. Hearing Is Important Dr. B. Cayenne Bird
June 25, 2007
 One of the most frustrating aspects of having been a prison reformer for the past decade is low voter knowledge of the issues which I have always referred to as ignorance. I do not mean general ignorance, although there is plenty of that out there too, I am referring to citizen ignorance of how the system works. The media has been writing about this topic lately which I believe deserves to be addressed in very simple language since government propaganda and low voter knowledge are hurting us all. Get rid of the propaganda and we've solved the problems once everyone understands why they exist and what can be done about them. Back in the day, we were taught the basics of government in our senior year in high school. We understood that the purpose of our learning how to read and write was to be able to protect our liberty and property. Using our education to make a living was secondary to being able to protect our freedom. We were told that every good citizen was to write regular, short letters to the editors on the issues, to demonstrate in the streets whenever necessary, which is how we ended the Viet Nam war, and work to get out the vote even when no major issues were looming. These were basics and no red-blooded American would ever have been caught being uninformed on the issues or inactive in the processes. Even those with less than a high school education were taught that participation in the Democrat process was vital. If we, the people, didn’t do our patriotic duty to write to editors, protest at legislative hearings, get the truth out about injustice, then the slimy politicians would do whatever they wanted to in order to serve law enforcement labor unions. We were told that to shirk our responsibilities would result in the loss of our freedom to a police state. Well, somewhere along the line as people were snoozing, struggling to make a living and not bothering to bring people to the polls to vote on election day, this prediction from the 60’s came true. The nightmare that our professors warned us about has become reality. We have only ourselves to blame for it. Just drive by the sports stadiums and you will see tens of thousands of people wasting their time and money on watching a silly game instead of showing up in the legislature. This is not just apathy. It’s pure ignorance of how the system works and what each of us are supposed to being doing as citizens. The politicians loathe noisy watchdogs and they do everything in their power to keep their campaigns quiet. The lawmakers love the prison industry, even those who pretend to be against it, because it funds their bureaucracy. This is why there is such limited media access and allowing great inhumanity to take place in California's taxpayer-financed institutions. I had the recent experience of being told by a staffer in the legislature what I could and could not write about in my column and daily newsletter concerning our decade-long campaign to release sick and dying inmates. That was a chilling experience with which I will never comply as it was our UNION people, Prison Law Office, ACLU and Friends Committee on Legislation who exposed the abuses and took actions against it. Can you imagine a veteran opinion writer being chastised and directed on what news to release and not to release? I was floored at having my First Amendment Rights once again trampled upon and that incident might turn out to be a separate column all in itself. Republican politicians in particular are financed and put into office to do law enforcement's bidding but the Democrats all voted on the ridiculous prison expansion bill AB 900, so they are all culprits and promoters of locking people in cages for funding. Anyone who is popular with legislators is a lap dog who is achieving nothing in prison reform, although they often buy adversaries in order to shut them up. Some of us are not for sale, thank God. It does require quite a few years of following people and issues to be able to see through the propaganda efforts and to have the courage to call them on adverse actions to the people. This is why it is sad to see key journalists getting axed from newspapers all over the state. They have always been our first line of defense and some did a fantastic job that brought prison reform to the brink of forward motion where we are all sitting today. Several of the best of the journalists were kicked out of the Capitol Press Corps for reporting too much truth and would be as welcome as a turd in the punchbowl when "delicate matters" regarding parole and sentencing laws were to be discussed. In California we now have three million potential voters related to a state prisoner. Most are people who are least likely to vote because they have less than a high school education. These citizens don’t really know why their lives have been devastated by their government. It is very easy to finance the bureaucracy by using billions in tax dollars to run the human bondage industry because the majority of those three million voters do not know how to organize well enough to elect their own people to office, file lawsuits and force changes in laws by doing initiative campaigns. They are willing participants in the oppression that they suffer due to a lack of education and apathy. It's tragic but it's correctible one person at a time. I am often stunned at just how great a loss people are willing to suffer just to avoid the simple tasks of organizing up to and including the torture and death of their loved one. Is this denial perhaps or a lack of compassion or sense of duty toward their family members? I don't know the answer but I do know that this lack of knowledge must be overcome before the most important reforms can take place and the necessary voting machine fired up to be a long time source of protection. Obviously, just reasoning with politicians does not work. They have sold their souls, most of them, to law enforcement's interests. A survey conducted last year showed the voting records of legislators from both parties vote for the will of law enforcement labor unions from 80% to 96% of the time. They do not vote for the welfare and will of the people who are being terrorized with harsh and ridiculous laws by our public servants that really do nothing to reduce crime But not all three million potential voters attached to a state prisoner are ignorant on the issues or how to overcome the oppression by organizing. Imprisonment has crossed over into the middle class now and journalists, teachers, nurses, doctors, social workers and other educated professionals have lost their sons and daughters to the slave labor industry. I have spent years teaching people how to become activists for change who have lost their homes, lost their health, lost everything fighting cases of injustice for their children and grandchildren. If I died today, the basic organizing that I have taught hundreds, perhaps thousands of people would be enough for them to be able to rescue themselves at any point that they decide to get serious about recruiting. In the past we had some great advocates in elected office who were not owned by law enforcement labor unions, prosecutors and DA's and other types of punishers. My favorite one of all time was Senator Tom Hayden who was the one and only official who would have a member of his office staff actually follow up on a prisoner emergency. It was a tragedy when people would not get out the vote to elect him to public office in Los Angeles after his term expired. That lack of support by our lame side was very destructive to us all. Many people died preventable deaths because after Hayden left there was no place to go for help. This is the result of snoozing and not taking care of our business, supporting our good advocates and showing up at the polls. Hayden's books have delivered a similar message that nobody can help apathetic people who want to complain to one another instead of doing public education campaigns. Other elected officials tried to bring about prison reform but our side has always been lame. Legislators brought bills to amend sentencing laws but only about 50 people would show up to the hearings and almost no one was writing the simple letters to the editor that is our responsibility when something important is up for a decision. People on our side of the argument refused to register the poor to vote, load up their cars and bring them to the polls to vote when an amendment to the cruel and ineffective Three Strikes was on the ballot. The evidence of that is in a comparison of the voter turn-out from the election before and the one where such a life and death issue was on the ballot. There was little difference in voter turn out between the two elections. What a shame! After about a decade of a small percentage of us living in abject poverty, working our guts out, scraping pennies together to do rallies at the Capitol and at the prisons, filing lawsuits and educating the other families to their role in writing, recruiting and getting out the vote, we have reached an important crossroads in prison reform. Judges Thelton Henderson and Lawrence Karlton, both of whom are more powerful than Governor Schwarzenegger, have made legal rulings in the Plata and Coleman cases and given the Governor and the legislators, (most of whom are bought-and-paid-for by law enforcement labor unions), a deadline to correct the prison crisis. Judge Henderson stated to the Los Angeles Times that prison reform is difficult because “nobody is up in arms about prisoners.” Those in power do not see us with our letters to editors and large protests so they think that people who care about and are willing to fight for prisoners do not exist in large enough numbers to have any teeth. Judge Henderson is in his 70's and has been telling us all that he wants to retire but he has a difficult time doing that knowing that people are suffering. It is the lifetime dream of every person in power that at some point the families are going to be able to organize and fund their own voting machine. Just making noise once in a while does not bring about the changes, it must be a constant building of registered voters all writing, protesting, bringing people to the polls and lawsuit rulings that brings the changes in the laws. Going to a protest once in awhile is just a part of achieving the major goal. The oppressed outnumber everyone since the three million potential voters do not include those on parole, those in jails, federal prisons or related to juveniles. It makes perfect sense that out of millions of those affected by harsh laws and abuses in prisons that there would be 6500 intelligent ones who could get together and elect the right people to office and force changes in the laws by doing initiative campaigns. Then why doesn’t it get done? Is it ignorance of how the system works? Is the stumbling block to success the problem of apathy? Or is it putting silly indulgences such as games, movies, trips, smoking and drinking habits ahead of the importance of organizing and funding a rescue organization for themselves? Are poor and oppressed people cleaning houses instead of educating the other prisoners out in the prison and jail line ups? Is there some assumption on everyone’s part that advocates such as myself and other key UNION members are doing their fighting and talking for them and that they need do nothing in support? Are people willing to sacrifice time and a few dollars to show that a voting lobby does exist when called to action or would they rather be ignored because they're too dysfunctional to get out a crowd? Whatever the misunderstanding, low voter knowledge and ignorance of how the system works is what is holding back reform. The hearing in Sacramento on June 27, this Wednesday, needs a large turn out so that both Judges Henderson and Karlton can see that we are capable or organizing well enough to do initiative campaigns and bring crowds to important hearings. We need to prove that we are intelligent enough to file more lawsuits, which is what brings about all reform and that we have generally stopped viewing ourselves as helpless victims. The UNION families have filed 28 lawsuits with more on the way, and the more we file, the faster the reforms will take place. We have collectively sued more than 300 state employees for their role in wrongful death, permanent disabilities, denial of first amendment rights and extreme abuses. Everything that is important – sentencing, parole, release of sick and dying prisoners, medical neglect, abuse of the mentally ill, harsh laws, injustice in the courts are all related to our reform movement is now in the firm grasp of these two judges. The Judges' insistence of the State's compliance to their orders and a prison cap would stop the insane effort to expand a failed industry. If the system is expanded, we will never see sentencing and parole reforms. The CCPOA is for once telling the truth when they advise everyone that they cannot staff the prisons now. There is only one doctor reportedly working at Blythe for 5,000 men. And the Governor and Legislators want to rob our education dollars by pouring money into a useless black hole when they can't staff the present blood houses as it is, how illogical can they get? It starts at 10:30 am, the Amtrak comes just across the street from the Federal Building at 501 “I” Street in Sacramento, or you can drive and take the J Street exit off the 5 freeway, it’s easy to find. The hearing is in the Federal Courthouse on the 16th Floor, Courtroom 1, Judges Lawrence Karlton and Henderson's Prison Cap hearing. This legislative session can turn out to be the best we’ve ever had in the entire decade that I’ve been working to bring these changes in laws and policy about as long as the Judges have them all by the short ones. I would like you to see some of the tragedies of the family members of UNION people who died along the way and our battle to get the movement to this point while others didn’t help, didn’t show up, didn’t support our many campaigns or lawsuits with a nickel and even bashed us every step of the way. http://www.1union1.com/about_union.htm Everything possible was done to try and stop our organizing and public education because, after all, that would put prison guards and their legislators in the soup line, instead of in power over us. There is nothing more powerful than a large, noisy, writing, suing, citizen’s group and we have survived and are possibly on the verge of major wins for every prisoner and their family members in California We sacrificed our income, our lives and fought everyone’s battles but the time has come for people on the sidelines to stop being ignorant of the issues and learn to show up three or four times a year when called to prove that we’re not too stupid as a movement to organize and elect our own people to office. If the judges retire at this juncture, we will have no hope of bringing about the reforms so vital to getting justice in everyone’s cases and taking back our lives, stolen so that bureaucrats could have budgets from the human bondage industry. You can get ride information here at this link, if you can give a ride or need a ride, please email me at rightor1@yahoo.com http://www.1union1.com/alerts.html The Motel 6 off the Richard Blvd. exit on Jibboom Street charges $49.99 for two beds, two people for those who want to arrive a day early. Silence has been the wrong action to take because supporting those fighting these battles is something every red-blooded American needs to be doing if we are ever to put an end to what old time educators warned us about – ending up with a police state. We all have legal burdens but there will be no justice in anyone’s cases until you help to reform the state laws and policies and only the power of numbers moving on one campaign at a time can accomplish that goal. It can’t be just about your own case because the brick walls are in place on purpose and it takes a citizen’s group to tear them down. What are you waiting for, a miracle rescue that requires no work and no moneys spent? That is impossible for anyone to hand to you. The prison guards have this organizing routine all figured out. That is why they hold the jailer’s keys and others are the slaves to the bureaucrats. It’s all very basic, simple, high school government knowledge but if people were doing these simple steps of writing, recruiting, showing up in mass when called and getting out the vote for people who would really represent us, we would have NONE of the current problems. Everybody thinks someone else is doing it and then nobody does it. Too bad when the oppressed outnumber all the others and could clean this mess up in a heartbeat if enough people would help. Be there with a carload or hush up complaining and risk setbacks to all our years of hard work. Everybody has a role in this battle. The hearing flyer is here: http://www.1union1.com/June27_hearing_flyer.html Rev. B. Cayenne Bird Rightor1@yahoo.com UNION P.O. Box 340371 Sacramento, Ca. 95834 Allow Voluntary Deportations of Illegal PrisonersDr. B. Cayenne Bird is an ordained minister and a 37-year veteran op-ed journalist and publisher. She volunteers her time as founder and director of United for No Injustice, Oppression or Neglect UNION. The UNION is active in prison reform and criminal justice issues. She is a mother and grandmother and focuses on human rights and restorative justice. She is also the host of television series "Cayenne Common Sense" and publishes a daily online newsletter to subscribers.
Dr. B. Cayenne Bird
June 23, 2007
 Sometimes I am forced to voice a strong opinion when a bunch of milquetoast politicians and their court jesters don't see the bigger picture and scare the bejeepers out of the people who must suffer the brunt of their ridiculous ideas and actions. This is one of those times so I am going to come straight out and say it. Illegal immigrants should not be shipped out of California to prisons in other states.
There are many logical reasons for this view, but the most important one is that most of these young men have children. To break up these families, in many cases for a lifetime, is truly cruel and destructive. I also believe that the California Department of Corrections (CDCr) will sweep up many Hispanics and other nationalities who ARE United States citizens once this program gets fully underway since the agency runs amok with whatever it is that they want to do most of the time. Anyone who trusts that CDCr really keeps its promises and tells anything but lies is deluding themselves. They will transfer whomever they want if strong actions aren't taken against these half-baked, half-witted, idiotic, and ill-advised ideas.
We should stand up strongly against the transfers of any prisoner to another state but support voluntary deportations, or deportations at the time of arrest for many prisoners, something no one in power is even discussing. Why not save all those tax dollars before court and keep this prison industry, a total non-solution to crime that has broken our state, in full view of the voters instead of building it silently? Masking the problem only gives the lawmakers more ability to build the industry ever higher and there would be little resistance from the non-voters related to illegals.
At the new prison destinations, which are nothing more than slave labor camps where human beings are sold into working bondage for a profit, visitors are disallowed. Their families are considered criminal elements in the communities where the for-profit prisons are located so they are unwanted either as residents or visitors on the receiving end. After all, it is the family members who witness starvation, beatings and medical neglect so if they are disallowed, the private prisons can do anything they want without fear of lawsuits or criminal accountability. Profits are made by private prisons by starving the prisoners and denying them medical care which the Governor obviously has no problem with doing to people. Shipping people out to private prisons are a way the Governor can sidestep the Judge's insistence that he end inhumane practices
The firms with which the Governor is wheeling and dealing have a long track record of human rights abuses and millions in lawsuits have been filed and won against them. Research this at Google.com so you can get full the picture of just what is taking place in these deals and the types of companies your tax dollars are empowering. Enter "Wackenhut" which is now Geo and "Corrections Corporation of America" CCA, lawsuit, award, ruling, as key words. There are numerous instances of evidence that these companies deserve to be shut down for crimes against humanity yet our Governor is selling men as slaves to them. It's insane and it's wrong.
In many instances, the inhumane contracts specify that no visitors will be allowed. What kind of beasts would agree to such a stipulation knowing how attached children are to their fathers and other family members?
These transfers of “illegals” means that families are being intentionally and permanently destroyed. I have a real problem with that type of evil taking place anywhere in the world, especially in the name of taxpayers of my native state of California.
The prisons are reportedly better in other countries than those in California and Arizona and at least their families would have access to them. Illegals should have a choice of being returned to their native countries which would totally relieve our tax burden and preserve families.
We have already seen the tragedy of Pedro Guzman, a disabled US citizen who was mistakenly deported out of the Los Angeles County Jail last week. Once the transfers begin, the uncontrollable CDCr will transfer whomever they want, regardless of whether or not they are illegal aliens. To think otherwise is a mistake, since law enforcement agencies are rife with unbearable incompetence.
I am aware of a low level offender at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, Ca who is a Jordanian Citizen who would love to go home. Since there is no treaty with Jordan, he is stuck in that horrible prison gym without any family ties. In situations such as his, by all means, send them back to their countries, back to their family ties, which every human being needs.
The length of time that the prisoner has lived in the United States and whether or not he or she has children who are US citizens should have a major influence on deportation. Those illegal aliens here three years or less with no children could safely be deported back to their own country without worry of destroying a family unit. Illegal aliens who want to be deported should be accommodated today.
Building the human bondage industry by making profitable deals with corporate prisons such as Geo and CCA, who have been sued many times for inhumane treatment of prisoners is a bad idea. This is not reform and not only is it costly to the taxpayers but the damage to the children involved, thousands of children, is immeasurable.
The UNION families will never fall for the divide-by-race-and-stop-from-organizing mentality that permeates every level of the prison culture and legislature. I expect that we are going to see riots and violence in both the prisons and in the neighborhoods if these transfers aren't halted right away. How clueless must one be to realize separating people from their family members for life will predictably result in violence, not to mention separating them from their legal cases in process.
It's a non-solution that will have a tragic consequence - the destruction of children - and every attempt should be made to prevent that from happening.
I believe that the number of people being arrested for crimes that aren't really crimes need to be kept in full view of the California taxpayers and voters because we have a regime in charge who views people as livestock. Prisons are California’s largest industry, one that has bankrupted our state, and is now going to be a burden to our children if the $7 billion prison expansion is allowed to stand that serves no public safety benefit. All it does is finance the bureaucracy with budgets. Our UNION families do not want tax dollars being spent on such useless and destructive programs as prison expansion.
I concur with a logical article published in today's News Blaze by the California Green Party, that the prison expansion is simply rewarding a failed agency and does not substitute revising sentencing laws, releasing the frail elderly and terminally ill and about a thousand other things that should be done which are better solutions to the overcrowding problem.
I also recommend that in order to save the State money and end the horrible, inhumane destruction of families that sex offenders be allowed to voluntarily leave the country upon release so they can find housing and a job. America was first populated as a penal colony when English prisoners were allowed to bring their families here to settle.
There are other countries with which agreements could be made to allow sex offenders and other types of parolees to get on with their lives instead of being sent to our streets. In many cases the areas they are being paroled into offers them no hope at success, no family support and no job awaits them. This is one of the great causes of recidivism.
Last week I cringed when I witnessed Matthew Gray, the paid lobbyist for the pornography industry since 2005, porn promoter voicing an opinion on NBC that illegal prisoners should be shipped out of California. Don't get me wrong, I do dearly love the First Amendment and have spent most of my life fighting for it as I chose journalism in high school and college as my major and it has always been my career of choice. There is no way, however, with all the insane sex offender laws sweeping up and destroying so many teens in its ugly fear-mongering nets, that I would ever sell my soul to promote PORN. It worsens the problems and causes too much damage and I cannot ethically support it, let alone work for it.
By spending a number of years lobbying in the restrooms of the legislature, Gray has managed to get himself appointed to a “prison reform” committee where he has no business sitting and speaking on behalf of the mature parents who have worked for years to get these issues on the front burner. He does not know the issues outside of parole and his recommendations are shallow and wrong. He is paid by the Porn industry to represent them which has nothing to do with us except to the extent we believe too many young people are victimized by its influence or are over-sentenced for viewing it.
For example, Gray endorsed Schwarzenegger for Governor to the three million voters attached to a state prisoner which was a betrayal of their interests considering the lies the Governor told to prevent an amendment to the Three Strikes law. This was but one of about a thousand other betrayals of these same people that the Governor has done continuously by vetoing good bills that made it through both houses of the legislature including media access, compassionate release of sick and dying prisoners, and many others.
As a matter of fact, when I think about it, the Governor has blocked every type of reform bill that would ease the prison crisis and benefits prisoners and their families so preserve his "tough on crime" image.
So it makes no sense to me that anyone such as Gray, who claims to represent prisoners and their families, would have recommended voting for Schwarzenegger, who has a solid track record of working against every type of prison reform. Maybe now that a federal judge had to step in to stop the inhumane murders my medical neglect of people who never had a death sentence, the outcome of this legislative session will be different.
Matthew Gray certainly does not represent the views of the families of prisoners who are subscribers to the UNION newsletter. As a matter of fact, one of the defendants named Gray in at least two of our lawsuits for participating in and being callous to prisoner abuses that resulted in untold damage when he worked for the Government. K'napp vs. Hickman, Case 2:05-cv-02520-FCD-CMK which has a court date of April 4, 2008 and K'napp vs. Adams,
1:06-cv-01701-LJO-NEW (DLB) (PC) K'napp v. Adams et al both of which are available for viewing on Pacer.
If you want more information about these two lawsuits, please email me for it.
Now that I hope I have established that Gray, the Pornography Lobbyist who has never been a full time prisoner advocate and still isn't, doesn't represent the vast majority of the families of prisoners, I hope that NBC and occasionally other journalists will stop taking him seriously. His main goal in life is to be popular and he's about as deep as a puddle in terms of life experience plus he isn't truthful, which is why he is being sued.
A prison cap is necessary as there are thousands of better ideas which I have offered on behalf of the professionals in our UNION at past columns located at these links.
Prison Plan is Embarrassing to Thinking People Everywhere
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Corrupt Criminal Justice System Contributes to Overcrowded Prisons
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25 Comments Posted
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zzyzx_exit at 5:39 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Head 'em off at the pass!
As I said months ago, the federal judges will not buy into the governor and legislature's 7.8 billion dollar prison reform fix with new beds not available until the first part of 2009.
The state has had decades to address the issues before the courts and they have repeatedly ignored court order after court order. Remember people, the issue here is unconstitutional conditions in the prisons. If the state or federal government takes away the liberty of any citizen, the government must care for those persons at a level that meets constitutional standards. If we do not, then we become no better than Iran or Iraq. All of you who are in favor of stripping constitutional rights from prison inmates, remember this. You are also removing those same safeguards from yourself and we become a third world country.
Indeterminate sentencing MUST be returned along with a package of mandatory rehab benchmarks to be met by each inmate before they are paroled.
As for now ... the feds will take over.
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Walter_E_Wallis at 7:27 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Perhaps judges need to sentence within the capacity of the prisons. All the rest of us understand the limits of our jobs, why not judges?
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tbda1 at 7:36 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Sillen and the judges have anly been sucessful in doing one thing. And that is spending millions of taxpayers dollars. The constitutional level of health care provided to inmates should be no greater than what they provided to themselves prior to being incarcerated. With an at risk inmate population, do to their chosen life style, is it any wonder they have serious health problems? That the citizens of this state are paying this kind of fee for the choices these inmates have made, that is the real crime. Talk about bankrupting the state. Keep giving Sillen his blank check and that is exactly what you are going to get
As for Gloria Romero and her ilk, talk about incompetent. If the CDCR were as incompetent as the legislature, we would be losing control of prions on a daily basis.
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KingLarry at 7:42 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
In this article it says "Judge Henderson, however, characterized the receiver's progress as adding up to "little successes." The judge noted that when Sillen first took over, the receiver said it would take him three to five years to fashion a constitutional fix. Sillen is now saying it will take him five to 10 years." Why the long delay? Easy. Sillen and his creu of recently hired ex-CDC managers don't want the gravytrain to stop anytime soon. Or could it be that he hasn't got a clue of what has to be done? I think it's a combination of both. But take a look at the Gov now. A year or so ago he was touting that the Feds SHOULD take over the prison system. But like any good politician he's flip-flopped on his stand. In 5 to 10 years from now most of the folks reading this will be either dead or have other more pressing problems to deal with than prison overcrowding. And so it is "As the world turns".
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melissa1977 at 7:48 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
it's not that difficult!!!!
Anyone wonder how much it costs for all these attorneys involved? We know it costs thousands to run a court for just a day... I am guessing they could have added at least one new facillity with all of the money spent trying to make their point! Let out the guys who are low level, non-violent, and give them guidelines to follow. For the remainder of their parole to be working and a productive member of society. basically, 33 prisons equals roughly 1,000 inmates per prison needing to be released. I wonder what will happen when the inmates start suing for their constitutional rights? They should minimally get the rights. What if it was you? Or your loved one?
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Insightful_genius at 8:03 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
There was a sea of pink flowers in the audience
Row upon row of families of prisoners from the UNION, United for No Injustice, Oppression or Neglect were in the audience, more than 100 inside the courtroom and about 100 more overflowing into the foyer. So many in fact that they played musical chairs so that those who traveled from as far away as San Diego could spent at least some time witnessing the hearing.
The pink flowers symbolized hope and trust, that people in power are going to recognize and act upon their immeasurable suffering. They wanted to deliver a message that the UNION has been organizing the necessary voting block to change the laws for many years now that will be active in filing lawsuits for abuses and wrongful deaths of their loved ones and bringing the poor by the busloads to vote out people who oppose reform bills in the future.
There is zero support for out of state prisoner transfers in the UNION or AB 900 both of which are non-solutions to the problem.Imagine that, the families can organize and show up.
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Insightful_genius at 8:07 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
People in charge of reform brushed off desperate families yesterday
One other thing worth mentioning, some of the families who are very desperate for help from people who are considered to be in charge of the reform, waited until after the hearing so that they could speak to people like Attorney Michael Bien and Senator Gloria Romero. They had plenty of time to speak with the journalists and radio broadcasters but brushed the desperate family members who approached them off with total disinterest.
They might be on the right side but none of these people including Sillen are responding to emergencies. Just tell them you're a reporter though and they have all kinds of time for you. It sure would be good if somebody would set up a real place to go for help. Kristina Hector in Sillen's office who is supposed to be the inmate complaint coordinator now is on vacation for more than a week. Say what? It can't be that the families aren't contacting her with their problems or can that be the problem, because nothing is getting resolved out there.
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scorpioce at 8:26 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Im not concerned with an inmates liberties. They took away someone elses to get into prison.
We are more likely to take away the rights of a free citizen than we are an inmate. Its irritating. Our rights are being undermined daily. One day we will be a socialist country, then we really will have something to whine about instead of being overly concerned about an inmates right. How come an inmate gets free health care and millions of poor dont. Please, inmates rights. Focus your attention on the free people.
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justw2no at 8:31 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
From what I understand from acquaintances who work for CDC, the state has not ignored court orders. There are programs for the disabled, mentally ill, and drug treatment programs. As the old adage goes you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. The same applies to men and women who have made the wrong life choices over and over. I am for providing opportunities to those who want them to turn their lives around and become productive, honest citizens but those who are always looking for a free hand out and an excuse should not be given chance after chance. Some say that non violent criminals should be let out early since they did not physically harm anyone but having your possessions or identity stolen (I have had both happen) makes you feel very much like a victim. Where do you think drug users get their money from? Same goes for the repeat drunk driver. Do we keep letting them off with a shortened sentence until they kill someone?
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justw2no at 8:33 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
The homeless and the brave men and women fighting an unpopular war face much worse conditions than the convicted felons that are incarcerated in our prisons!!
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oldguard76 at 9:08 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Again More oversight...
Just the minimum needed in this column of comments. I agree with KingLarry and zzyyzx. Both point to issues that are so correct. Indeterminate sentencing must be reinstalled; "three strikes" must be utilized for the habitual and violent offender; not the petty criminal. As for the gravy train, experience is needed to understand and deal with the CDC(r) system effectively. You wouldn't bring in a body and fender repairman to bake French Croissants.
Recently the Bee noted that the CDC(r) budget will surpass education spending. 8 billion for reform is too much. More prisons will produce nothing more than a shell game. It would cost far less to house those in need of mental health services in the hospitals, release/discharge of minor offenders serving short terms, and return to the civil addict program. Lastly,fire up the dormant educational and vocational machines within the wall and bring back parole board to determine fitness for release. Scrutnize CDC(r) managers real closely!!!
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dsmithy at 10:12 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Who cares. These inmates are inmates.
If you don't like it, don't go to prison. The answer is most certainly not to unleash them on society because they might die in prison. Our (public) rights should supercede theirs. They are the felons.
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RaymondEvers at 10:19 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Prison Caps
As I expected we have the usual suspects (above) taking pot shots at the Judges with their usual "smoke & mirrors" tactics attempting to obfuscate the truth about the deplorable conditions in our State prisons. Their response is, if you don't like the message, kill the messenger. Two of their favorite ploys are: #1. Attack Robert Sillen and #2. Scare everybody with their fearmongering refrain, "release of dangerous criminals onto our streets". Neither of these are valid and I suspect they know it.
The real danger here is ineptutude on the part of CDCr and the Governor playing politics with peoples lives.
Sounds like the Juges are not fooled by these rascals. At least, I hope not.
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delta95 at 11:51 AM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
LAWS! We don't need no stinkin laws
Over crowding was one of the issues before the 3 strikes vote. They have known since then this would be an issue and they did nothing about it. They do this so enough time can pass to where they do not enforce the law so they can willy nilly some new laws (which are usually oppisite of public opinion) to fix the ones that were not being followed and term them "unenforcable" (because they have been ignored for so long). Can we say immigration reform. All I want is that this panel of judges be held accoutable and responsible for any people released from prison because of there ruling. Or maybe there should be a panel investigating what is appropriate human rights for prisoners (ie T.V's, radio's, wieght rooms, private rooms, etc). These people in prison are not the victims but the predators preying on society.
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marcheria at 12:02 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
marcheria
There is only one BIG problem with the overcrowding and that is that the Board of Prison Terms DOES NOT follow its own rules and regulations in releasing the lifers that have done their time. The Board continues to set them off year after year until now you have a BIG problem to deal with.
Why are Calfornians paying these Board Officials when they are not doing their jobs and causing the situation that Calfornia is in ?
Building more prisons is not the answer . The answer is to release the lifers that have done their time and programs and to have rehabilitation like in the name of CDC.
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jreed0960 at 12:37 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Sentencing and parole reform needed
Recently my son was accused of a robbery/burglary He is 21 this supposedly happened when he was 19 previously he has no criminal record , no record of violence and has a learning disability. With letters from his teachers, Volunteer coordinators and friends and family. What is scary abut this is the eyewitness originally ID the assailant as 6' 180lbs no facial hair and no hair. My son is 5'6" and 120lbs with lots of hair. My son was sentenced to 20 years in prison with no parole with the mandatory sentencing law. wonder why the system thinks that 20 years in prison is appropiate especially given his age and background.
With this type of sentencing especially with no parole you can expect the prison to stay full unless Sentencing and parole reform is addressed
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nayr_elip at 1:27 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Bla Bla Bla
The one thing I want to know is why we pay so much money so these people who chose to break the law and go to Prison can have healthcare. I strongly agree with tbda1 when he said "The constitutional level of health care provided to inmates should be no greater than what they provided to themselves prior to being incarcerated." If I cant see a doctor for free like an inmate does than why the @%$& should I pay all this money in taxes so and inmate can get the privilege of being treated FOR FREE!!!! When you look at it this way its like we are paying double for health care so the inmates can be treated. If an inmate didnt not have health care before incarceration they should have to meet certain standards and rehab goals before recieving care.
I need to go to prison because I need a check up and I dont have healthcare. I would like for the california people to pay for it. HA sounds really bad when I put it that way.
Well I guess im done with my rant.
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micamwood at 2:56 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
tbda, you are wrong!
It does not matter what health condition inmates have prior to landing in prisons. The government is CONSTITUTIONALLY OBLIGATED to provide a basic level of medical and mental health care if they are going to lock people up. Nowhere are you going to find anyone to say that when someone is sent to prison that they should not receive a basic level of care to keep them relatively healthy. Otherwise, that is TORTURE and is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution - or at least it usually is, with the glaring exception of U.S. prisons in Iraq and Cuba (Gitmo). The alternative is a race to the bottom of spending for health care in prisons. That is not something you want to see in the U.S. The first poster is right: we would then be in the same league as Iran or Iraq. Another point: degrade the health and mental health care rights for prisoners and see how fast other groups lose their care, too.
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rebelnet at 3:57 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
If you build it, they will come.
This article only solidifies my belief that more prisons must be built. Overcrowding is bad, but having no where to house them is worse. We must build more prisons and fast. By the way CCPOA don't listen to these anti-prison nutcases. You're doing a heckuva job! Thanks!!!
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natavia8 at 4:15 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Please judges be the smart ones handle the business. These able body prisoners, we should not be waisting tax payers money like this. Their better way's to spend the money. The schools are not doing well, because of lack of funds.The non-violent prisoners should recieve some form of help. That will save use billions of dollars and make this a better place to live. Common Respect!!
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shannonjames at 5:21 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Why is is we are willing to spend billions punishing and incarcerating people, but we're not willing to spend anything to try to help them out? How does that make sense?
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frankcourser at 8:31 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
Does anyone remember the land of the FREE
America makes up just 4.5% of the worlds population,but incarcerates 25% of the worlds prisoners. California leads the nation in inmate population! Make up what ever argument you can but the truth is we are the incarceration nation! Legislators worked to out do one another with dumb on crime laws such as three strikes. They could care less if the money used for prisons was taken from education, transportation or health care! 80% of female inmates are mothers, 50% are serving long terms for simple drug possession. Another 25 % for property crimes. Chowchilla is home of the largest population of female prisoners any where in the world! America is no longer the land of the free. Now wave your flag and feel safe.
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nancyleaca at 10:45 PM PST Thursday, June 28, 2007 wrote:
To those of who think every person in prison is a dangerous person to be thrown away and forgotten about, you have not been the victim of an overzealous District Attorney, have you? Read the post by jreed096 and see a case of someone being ram rodded through our socalled justice system. Undoubtedly there are scary people in prison, but regardless of their crime, this is the USA and every citizen has the same rights regardless of his trangressions. Those of who are posting who feel prisoners should not have rights, do not judge, lest ye be judged. At the rate we are incarcerating people, every family will suffer these injustices with a loved one in prison. When it hits home, you will be singing a different tune, I can promise that. To dsmithy, most felons are coming out so why not keep them mentally and physically healthy? Winston Churchill said a society can be judged by the way it treats its prisoners. Are you proud of our democratic society? I am ashamed and embarrassed.
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stager2 at 7:22 AM PST Friday, June 29, 2007 wrote:
Review the sentencing laws
I was touched by the mother who's son got 20 years for robbery and trust me I know what you are experiencing. The mother is a in denial of her son's guilt however, and that won't help him. A learning disability is not an excuse for crime. She also states "was accused". He wasn't accused he was found GUILTY. Stop enabling him or he will be the statistic that keeps coming back. Help him! There is no reform in prison. As a parent who cares you have to help him accept responsibility and use his time to improve himself. That said yes I agree that most sentences in California are unreasonable. There must be a process where those who want help and can prove they can contribute to society can be released and those who can't won't. To all those who are so freaked out about early release guess what? They will get out anyway. What is 6 months or a year if they don't get rehabilitation anyway? Pick and choose who gets out and it is a win-win for society and the prisons.
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rebelnet at 8:50 AM PST Friday, June 29, 2007 wrote:
I feel safe.
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