State Senate passes reduced prisons package, $200 million short of savings assumed in budget [Updated]

The state Senate this evening relented on a smaller package of cuts in prison spending than it approved three weeks ago, passing and sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill that falls more than $200 million short of the savings assumed in the state budget.
 
The measure, SBX3 18, authored by Sen. Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego), would reduce supervision for low-level offenders on parole so that they could not be sent back to prison for violating the terms of their release. And it would allow some offenders to earn shorter terms by completing rehabilitation programs.

Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) called the package “prison lite,” and said she was voting for it though it did not go far enough. It was approved 21 to 15.

The vote was the culmination of weeks of controversy and dispute over how to safely cut the population of the state’s overcrowded prisons to ease budgetary pressure and satisfy a federal court order to reduce the number of inmates.

The Senate, despite fierce opposition from law enforcement, had earlier approved a broader package of cuts that would have reduced the number of inmates by 37,000 over two years, nearly the amount federal judges have demanded. That package would have achieved $525 million of the $1.2 billion in prison cuts authorized in July’s budget deal.

The Schwarzenegger administration planned to make up the difference with administrative actions that require no legislative approval.

The package sent to the governor’s desk this evening, however, is estimated to be more than $200 million short, creating that much red ink for the state.

[Updated 6:45 p.m.: Schwarzenegger will sign the bill, spokeswoman Rachel Cameron said.

“While we are disappointed the Legislature fell short on budgetary savings, the centerpiece of this legislation is the parole reform that protects public safety, avoids early release and saves the state nearly $1 billion,” Cameron said.]
   
-- Michael Rothfeld and Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento

Comments

[Peter]

The politicians have to protect the six figure salary and benefit packages, and 90% early retirements that the prison guards union paid for with their "campaign contributions."

[HOMERUN]

Justice reform will effect the prison reform factor...
Stop the prosecution use of false evidence on the accused...
Stop court officials from tampering with evidence of innocence from court record...
Stop the concealment of evidence of innocence from open court ...
You will see jail/prison numbers drop dramatically and the cost savings will allow for programs to the public to exist without reduction.
This needs to be done...it can be done...and I want to help in this effort so injustice can be corrected and wrongs can be righted.
I want the job to do this.

[james kent]

Since it costs approximately 157,000 dollars per year per illegal prisoner and we have several thousnd of them in jail, wouldn't it have been more prudent to rent a few bus'es and send them south for the winter. By the time they work their way back, we might (I say might) have an illegal immigration bill that would deport them permanently. That would sure help our budget. Is this too simple for our Governor and State representatives or are they counting on getting illegal Acorn votes from these "constituents" to ensure there state positions in our Capitol will remain?

[Tara]

why didn't they think of this sooner? now their families can feed them, and do their laundry and get them to their parole officers and shop for them instead of the strangers in their lives: the taxpayers.

[stella]

I think its unfair, there are plenty of prisoners who are non-violent out of 33 prisons and 16,000 is just a tip of the ice burg. The legislatures are only afraid of the sex offenders among many others, the Governor many times have said over and over those are violent prisoners and would not be released or considered in any of the programs. Yes I do have a love one in prison and they are a low level non violent prisoner but what are the chances he/she would be one of the 16,000? Not likely. And as far as letting 8,000 immigrants go to the feds, I think that's so unfair to count that 8,000 as a part of our 16,000. You people need to use your heads a little bit here. Crime happens no matter where we go, whether they've been to the pen and just let out, or whether they are a new offender, you cant stop crime.