Should California send prisoners to Mexico? Schwarzenegger floats idea. Do you agree?

With California facing more budget problems and more early releases of prisoners a real possibility, should the state export its prison population south of the border?

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested the idea Monday, according to The Times' Shane Goldmacher, writing at the California Politics blog.

“We can do so much better in the prison system alone if we can go and take inmates, for instance the 20,000 inmates that are illegal immigrants that are here, and get them to Mexico,” Schwarzenegger said during a question-and-answer session at the Sacramento Press Club. “Think about it.”

According to Goldmacher, the Republican governor has pushed to house California inmates out of state before -- but never in a different country. It’s cheaper to build prisons in Mexico, Schwarzenegger reasoned, and it’s cheaper to staff prisons there too.

How do you like the idea? Share your thoughts.

And check out the latest California political news here.

Photo credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[John]

I'd float that idea, like I'd float the idea to just kill everyone on death row.

I've got an idea, let's quit our addiction to the industrial prison complex. When a state has to outsource it's prisons, it has already lost.

In the recent debate over prison release I've heard EVERY representative from "Corrections" and Law Enforcement tell me to lock up my women and children because all hell is going to break loose when we release 6500 non violent offenders. I'm sorry, but there are two simple solutions to the overcrowding in the prisons.

The first solution is to Legalize Marijuana (and/or all drugs) If you want to solve the problem of repeat offenders, start by making people NON-offenders. Possession of a joint should not atart a life with a PRISON CONVICTION that leads to a downward spiral of NO WORK - due to a prison conviction, NO HOPE - due to no work or a possibility of a future, OTHER THAN - more crime, and more prison.

The second, should we decide to keep feeding an industry that has no incentive to make us any safer, but every incentive to lock up as many people as possible FOR PROFIT, is to INCENTIVIZE the FOR PROFIT industrial prison and law enforcement machine.

We still call the prison system a CORRECTIONAL facility, but every time we hear about reducing the prison population the FEAR MACHINE tells us that there is a recidivism rate of 70% for Criminal University. I've got an idea, let's pay Law Enforcement and "Correctional" facilities an incentive to get that number down to 0% recidivism rate.

The Corporate "Correctional" facilities can actually provide vocational training and other skill sets, to keep prisoner's out of prison. For every prisoner that DOESN'T return to jail, we can give the prison $1000 the first year they stay out, $500 the next year, and $250 the third year. Eventually, there could be more money in keeping prisoner's out of jail, then keeping them in jail.

And with all of those prisoners now a productive part of society, everyone benefits.

Our current system is a racist concentration camp, and we need to end the insanity!

[Jage]

We outsource our manufacturing to other countries, why not our prison system? Why stop with illegals? Let's set up prisons in poor countries, send our felons there. When they've served their time, they can come back. Jobs for the host countries, money savings here!

[hairy carrion]

Yes, let's become more paranoid and xenophobic.

[David]

People have been kicking around this idea for years. Just do it already. Illegal immigrants who turn to crime should be sent back to their home countries for incarceration there. The Calif justice system spends tens of thousands of dollars per inmate, it's about time we react to this running faucet of wasted money. Of course, the blood-sucking prison unions will probably fight against it with their six-figure lobbyists bad-mouthing the idea every chance they get.

[Nancie Lara]

Those 20,000 inmates should of been sent to Mexico a long time ago.. Damm arnold wake up and smell the coffee !!!

[aaron]

Yea outsource the prisoners to China,surely we can save hundreds of millions, and administrate this project just like corporate America does, when China tries to pass an increase of cost to us taxpayers...start looking for other countries that could do it for less and outsource it to them. If corporate America can outsource our good jobs, surely us taxpayers should be able to outsource all of our prisoners to other countries that can save us millions.

[Louweegie272]

This idea is loaded with irony. Should we build hospitals and schools in all of the countries where illegals are coming from? We can't afford the burden that illegal immigration has placed on our society, I wish we could take care of the world, but we can't afford it. No matter what the Chamber of Commerce and other special interest groups say.

[C Howell]

My husband has worked for Corrections for over 20 years. In that time he has been in more riots than I can count has hauled dead bodies out of cells. Has been exposed to Aids, TB, Hep and who knows what else. Over the last year my family has been greatly damaged due to the paycut and has been forced to work more overtime hours than I care to think about. And people have the nerve to say how much he can make! If you send the illegals to Mexico how long do you think they will stay there? How long before they are back here? A day or two? Mexico wont see them as criminals due to the fact that in Mexico they are NOT. They were convicted in a USA court. Let Mexio built their own prisons, we should not have to pay for it.. As for those who think the Unions are blood sucking and needs to cut state pay needs to go and pick up a pay check one day and find out you are down over a thousand in pay and have to go home and figure out how to pay bills and still put food on the table. We are people to and not just a number and we do not need to be lumped all together.

[Claudia]

ok, so we'll send undocumented immigrants back to serve their time in mexico for only Mexicans? has arnold not seem the drug war that's going on over there? Mexicans aren't the only undocumented people here in california... what are we going to build prisons in every other place? Arnold likes to spend money... just not on us... its easy to spend when the money isn't earned.... i don't like it but if it were facing a 19.9 BILLON defecit... building outside ca to houses prisoners isn't fair......why can't we build shelters for the homeless?

[Jorge Cuenca]

Why not, they come here....Let's send em' packing, keep on truckin'...Illegally = Illegal...

[Maria]

I think it's very selfish of CA to build a prison in Mexico & drop the inmates there. B/c we don't want to be fully responsible due to lack of funds, facilities, & etc, we push them over to a third tier country that happens to be conveniently right next to us? That's not right. Why expand the problem to Mexico? Yes, we can send back those that are illegal to whichever country they may be from. However, the state should be fully held responsible for the rest & not pond them off somewhere else. To think that everything will be resolved is a front & the state knows it. It's just another way of coping out of finding a real solid effective solution.

[Wicked City Woman]

That's just a special case of stupid. He needs to just shut up and go away.

[Lawrence]

This is a great idea, lets start doing this ASAP!

[betty]

Why does everyone assume that all illegals are from Mexico? Mexicans are not the only illegals in this country. Illegal immigrants come from all over like Central America, South America, Middle East, Asia and even Europe. If that's the case they better start building prisons all over the country.

[Stephen Martin]

What does Mexico think of this idea? Don't they have their hands full these days? And for those who equate inmate with "Illegal Immigrant/Mexican" think again. You will also have Americans being shipped out to a third world nation not very interested in the human rights of people in prison, and they take that to levels we would not tolerate here. If it is an American run private enterprise, then we have a for profit outfit which then would reward the 'owners' with govt. money running outside the US jurisdiction. Who is/are these wealthy people proposing this or behind this?

What is it with the governor finding ways to cut medicare, services for elderly and children, schools, and things affecting working or middle class people? Why doesn't he address how the wealthy in the state can do their part and pitch in to help a state in crisis? Why is nothing being asked of them? Aren't they part of the state as well? Oh yeah that's right. HE'S one of THEM.

[Liane]

Thanks, John, for your level-headed assessment of the real problem with the criminal justice system in California. Actually I should put "justice" in quotes because as you described, it's not a very good or just system.

[olivia]

ALL illegal immigrants who commit crimes should be returned to their country of origin...PERIOD!

[FTG]

Doesn't Mexico owe the US like a few/several billion dollars? Why not have the Mex government build a few prisons? The US then hands over all the illegal immigrant prisoners (not just in CA) and knocks off a few hundred mil off their tab.

[inso]

Yes, please send them back to Mexico.

20,000 illegal immigrant prisoners? So, that means they broke the law twice, or probably more than that? So much for the argument that illegal immigrants from Mexico come here to build better lives for themselves. And, so much for the argument that allowing illegal immigrants to stay here "enriches" society. They may be locked up, but they're *still* harming society by wasting our tax dollars.

[safada]

spoken like a nazi... is the governor suggesting USA occupy Mexico ??
No respect for the people of california , lack of respect for sovereign nation .

[Karen]

I think it's a great idea. But why would we need to build new prisons, aren't there existing facilities that could be upgraded at a cheaper cost?

[alex]

Why stop at just illegals? why not the excess that are actually americans? i mean they did break the law!!.If they cannot respect the law of the county then they shoulnt really be priviledged to be here.Just because your american doesnt give you the right to rape, kill, murder and further complicate the lives of our young ones with drugs.Repeat offenders should be highly recommended for this transfer.

[Warren]

If it saves us money, YES! While we are at it we need to end the war on drugs. First, we need to legalize Marijuana so the drug cartels will lose there most profitable product. Next we'll have decide the best way to regulate the distribute of drugs.

[blackman]

Now ya talking. Send all convictedillegals to their homeland. You will see a big decline in prison disturbances.

[A. Vasquez]

First the question must be clarified...

- Is it deport illegal Mexican-national prisoners to Mexico?.

Or is it,

- Build prisons in Mexico, to be staffed by Mexicans, to hold California convicts (regardless of immigration status), i.e. "outsourcing"?

Though both could be done concurrently, they are still two entirely different questions...