Schwarzenegger's effort to release 40,000 prisoners put on hold by Supreme Court [Updated]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's effort to release more than 40,000 prison inmates in California was placed on hold -- at least temporarily -- by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The high court left unclear today the status of a court order in California that calls for the release of the prisoners to relieve overcrowding.

The Republican governor wants to release the prisoners as part of an effort to reduce the state's nearly $20-billion budget deficit.

The justices said they did not have jurisdiction to hear an appeal filed by Schwarzenegger, but said the prisoner-release order had been put on hold "pending review by this court."

That suggests the justices may revisit the issue later. 

-- David G. Savage

Comments

[s. kala]

Please don't release prisoners, I think its a bad idia. schwarzenegger is wrong

[jk]

AAArnold has destroyed the state and the economy

[RyGuy]

That's right... let's spend billions and billions of dollars on wars and killing foreign enemies, but let's just let our domestic trash roam the streets because it's too crowded in prison. These characters have created more trouble "in America" than any terrorist or fool with a bomb ever would. Can we please get our priorities straight?!

[RyGuy]

FYI - If we rerouted just 1/100th of the U.S. war budget to our prisons, we probably wouldn't be having this problem.

[Jon]

So if California does not have the money to keep them behind bars, but the Supreme Burrito Court says we have to keep them while we get ready to review what is going on when we are good and ready to look at the issue, then who pays the bills while they are busy putting this issue on hold.

Because California is not just broke, we have $20 Billion in debt which is being downgraded in the bond market.

Who pays while we wait.

[Blenda M]

The order to release 40K prisoners is cruel and unusual punishment to the public. They should all be loaded and dropped off on Gilligan's Island.

[TheBigPicture]

Why release them...Let's just put them to work...

The penal system should be a self supporting organization...These clowns have too many rights...unbelievable....

[Mike]

Why don't we just fire half the government instead. Im tired of these people stealing our money blindly. Everybody is suffering and the gov ernment keeps hiring! Execute the criminals!

[richard cory]

Here's a good idea lets release ALL the prisoners and then we can save BILLIONS of dollars to help the poorly run budget.
Next to keep from filling the empty prison cells inform all law enforcement not to bother arresting more people.
Now we can close the courtrooms, no need for judges (another savings for the state) we can sell the state property (court buildings) to developers to build condos (property tax revenue)
Since there will be no more prisoners we can close down the prisons and sell that property also (see above) AND since there are no longer prisons or prisoners the we can dispose of the prison guards and theirs union (which was instrumental in our budget crises in the first place)
Oh, by the way with just this prisoner plan alone the economy will make drastic rebounds think of all the consumer goods ie. cars,TV, jewelry, ect. that will continually need to be replaced (after they have been stolen) not to mention the increased sales tax in gun sales and ammunition.

[Sibyl Kirschmer]

The gov's prison release idea was a counter-productive bad one from the get-go. Dubious state savings in dollars, as many of those released will not be able to find jobs in this economy, even if they want to work. That means more stress and monetary strain on public services and welfare, plus more homeless, more crime, re-arrests, etc. New babies will also be created by these releases as well. And some of those babies will be the straw that puts those new moms and kids - with non-productive dads and no employable skills, onto state welfare roles. Not to mention making a laughing stock out of a critical crime deterrent. His latest brain(less) approach to budgeting makes any and all efforts of the police, the courts and and the 3-strikes law just a useless wheel-spin and a dangerous joke. Budget-balancing should NOT come at the safety and expense of innocent and law-abiding citizens, just so you can keep your promise to avoid taxing the rich!

Come on Arnie, can't you do better than reduce our quality of life in California down to the lowest common (monetary) denominator?? Please get your head out of your tush and look beyond the obvious.. If you can't manage that then the Supreme Court should definitely intervene, and YOU sir should step down.

[Julian B Duron]

"The Republican governor"
I expected no less in reporting of this type of story by a liberal media. But what of the democratic controlled assembly, you know the finger pointers that only know how to raise taxes and offer no other solutions.
Facts in reporting and not giving a true accounting of the full story hurts this country when the media still insists on slanting the facts.
This voter will remember my state assembly person next election and will vote based on voting performance on watching my tax dollars not siding purely on party lines.

[smartactuary]

I am an actuary and I can solve all this.

[SYMPL1]

thanx for the update? i think

[SYMPL1]

the justices didnt have the jurisdiction to hear this case well who does i thought thats what they did was hear cases that a regular judge doesnt lets pass the decision making to someone else but lets make it sound legal good job cali govt way to get this budget under wraps NEXT

[Nido]

Only 40,000 prisoners? Why not make it 80,000?

[Glad2BeOutOfLA]

Since his governance will be over shortly, he doesn't have to address the problem of ****who will end up paying for the extra police who will be needed to pay to round these convicts AGAIN after they commit MORE crime?***! It's not like there is an overflow of jobs where these prisoners will be welcome. Schwarzenegger is either clueless or careless, or both.

[Lisa Lee]

It would help readers if the L.A. Times article stated WHICH "Supreme Court."

Were you referring to the FEDERAL U.S. Supreme Court or the State of CA Supreme Court.

Describing the "high court" doesn't define what you are saying.

It does make a big difference in the context of what has been reported.

[Sibyl Kirschmer]

I do not see my earlier comment on this subject. It has been over an hour, should I resubmit it?

[benf101]

Due to the profits in the prison system, I'd be surprised if prisoners are released. While prisoners cost money to house, they make more money for the bond holders than they cost to the system. If they get released then it would be like killing the goose that lays golden eggs because the goose feed is too expensive.

It could happen if the budget is that much upside down, I guess, but it is interesting that the Supreme Court stopped it... they are the ones who buy the bonds from the smaller courts. Funny, isn't it?

[xv]

I totally agree with TheBigPicture, too many rights...and no responsabilities men that go in and come out want to come back into prison. No rent, no bills, free gym and no other expenses...it should be where they only feed them hard bread and water and that should make them think twice about returning to prison. There must be a way for them to produce something to generate $$ that way we do not have 40K prisoners wondering the street until they have served their time.

[Debbiee]

Releasing prisoners could be both either good and bad there's always gonna be issue but too release will cut the budget and that's more then we can offered especially with how everything is right now financially . Whatever money we can save , that's better for our economies, but also when realsing that many criminals just have too watching them as parol and so forth cause that could still be an issue in our state. I agree with the govenor in this one that's what i think about this issue just had too let it be known thankss! ( :

[Kris]

Okay, everybody that supports prisoners working for their keep, just where would those jobs be coming from? Will it be your job? Would they be the new telemarketers that that take your credit information? I believe this has or could still be happening. Will it be in manufacturing, perhaps taking menial jobs from people who use these jobs to keep their families fed? If, perhaps, they were in jobs that have been leaving the country anyway, I would support that. Any ideas out there about what it is they will be doing?

[haha haha]

I bet Gray Davis is laughing his ass off... unless he's a California resident.

[Steven]

He prefers releasing prisoners early to prey upon the public rather than cutting aid to ILLEGAL ALIENS!

[Hmmmm]

Wait, didn't the panel of federal judges just approve this plan? Now they're putting it on hold. Looks like it's not Arnies fault this time. Pretty sure it was the feds mandating the release in the first place. I agree, put them to work and make them earn their keep. They broke the law and should have no rights, other than food and shelter. Some law-abiding citizens aren't even that lucky.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/01/judges-approve-schwarzenegger-prison-plan.html