LA Times had an article describing potential savings to the prison system.
Reporting from Sacramento -- The state budget deal negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders would reduce the population of California prisons by nearly 27,000 inmates in the current fiscal year.
That would be done with a combination of new measures, including allowing some inmates to finish their sentences on home detention, creating new incentives for completion of rehabilitation programs and scaling back parole supervision for the least serious offenders.
Via Capitol Weekly, we see this glimpse behind the scenes as angry Republicans threaten to scuttle the budget over this.
Their "cut strategy" for prisons must have included the Governator's original barbaric ideas to eliminate alcohol treatment and vocational training, rather than cuts in the prison population.
We start to see behind the curtain.
From: (Sam Blakeslee)
Date: July 21, 2009 3:21:24 PM PDT
To: (Assembly Republican Caucus)
Subject: Budget Double-Cross?
Throughout budget negotiations we insisted that Republican votes would never be provided for a budget deal that included early release of prisoners.
Our caucus and staff developed a cut strategy for corrections that provided the necessary savings to close the deficit without risking public safety.
We had a clear understanding with the democrats that NO corrections bill would be a part of the budget and that we would have an honest chance to contest the policy issues in the light of day in August.
Just two hours ago I learned from staff that Senate democrats are concocting a radioactive corrections bill that includeds the worst of the worst _ sentencing commission and release of 27,000 prisoners, etc
When I spoke with Dennis he was as surprised and upset as I was regarding what appears to be a serious breach of the agreement in the Big 5.
I have called and personally told both Karen and Darrell that their will be no republican votes for any portion of the budget if they allow such a bill to be part of the package.
I will keep you posted.
Sam
Updated to include LA Times link and quote |
