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

[fretsward]

If you seek answers, just look to the “real racist” groups like The National Council of La Raza (The Race), MeCHA, LULAC, and a terrorist group called the “Mexica Movement.” Their official platform says:
“We totally reject all illegal European Colonial Squatter Occupation Borders on our continent. We also reject Colonialism’s right to keep stealing the wealth of our lands. And we reject their artificial divisions of our people!” This is a group that thinks America is their property, and anyone who doesn’t fit their description should leave the country. What it also means is this is a hateful, racist and terrorist group, and it should be denounced. Of course, we will be called racist. What Americans are fed up with are the millions and millions of people who come here and do not want to assimilate or learn the language. People who send their earnings “home” to another country. People who are turning 2 bedroom apartments and single family homes into illegal camps housing up to 100. People who are stealing I.Ds and Social Security numbers from American taxpayers. People who are turning entire neighborhoods and city sections into Tijuana’s, where half the store signs advertise “llanteras usadas.” People who are killing American citizens at the rate of 27 per day through murder, drunk driving, etc. People who expect and demand their kids to be taught in Spanish, and don’t care what we Americans think. People who since 2000 have desecrated our National border parks with 25 million tons of trash.
People who decline to buy auto insurance or set enough aside to cover their liabilities. People who use our expensive hospital emergency rooms as their cold and sniffle clinics. The real complaint here is that those “lazy Americans” who still try to “follow the rules” find themselves increasingly squeezed and taxed, fingerprinted and regulated, licensed and strip-searched, while the illegals thumb their noses, disregard our wishes, and give the finger to our laws.

[Rondall41]

There are good points and bad. The good point is we get rid of 20,000 illegals at once.
The bad, we have to pay Mexico to take their own criminals back.
Another point, US Laws don't mean a thing in Mexico. Who says they won't be released and cross back into the US. The Mexican government is famous for breaking agreements after they have the money.
My wife's plan was to house them all in Iraq and build that economy back up. Why waste more money in a country where the legal syatem has collapsed already.

[Jim Ballard]

This sounds like a win/win and maybe the first good idea Arnold has had.

[chuckawalla]

why would we want to continue housing them here. with free food, clothing, medical, and housiing they have it better here in prison that back home in Mexico. send them back where they can be an asset or debit to there own country.

[John E McCue]

This is one of the best ideas the governor has pressented to California.

[john]

Agree. Make them walk back and save money on transportation!

[Roger]

Several of the previous comments are spot on. Send all the prisoners to Arizona instead holding them for the benefit of the blood sucking unions. Contract with Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County for a fraction of what the inept California governmen wastes on human waste.
We are talking about prison not a welfare vacation spot for criminals.

[Jean Souders]

What if they're Canadian?

[Marley]

It is a goods start... come on we dont seriously need violent criminals here that could be elsewhere... a vote for this plan is a vote for the future of our children.

[m]

How deporting all the Anglos back to Europe, and the Blacks back to Africa, too.

[Marley]

Roughly 20,000 in prison, roughly 5 million working... what are the other 14,980,000 doing?

[Astonished]

Only if they are never allowed back in the country.

[Joel Huschle]

This idea is simply race-baiting by the governor. He is obviously good at it, judging from the comments so far. Can we have Gray Davis back any time soon?

[Tara]

Yes, yes and yes. it's not just the cost of incarceration which is unaffordable, but the added financial pressure on parole programs, probation officers, recidivism (court, law enforcement costs), law enforcement etc. etc. Mexico has actively encouraged and abetted the out-migration of Mexicans for decades--if they're really serious about this "new era" of cooperation with the U.S., they should also cooperate on our problems with their citizens. If Mexico can afford to maintain 46 consulates in the U.S., they can afford to direct funds to the proposed prisons.

[Julian Tyler]

The simple answer is yes and here is why...

1) Housing prisoners in CA cost about $40,000 per inmate, per year. This is insane and must change immediately. Building prisons in Mexico is a solution to this problem.

2) The cost is largely due to prison Unions and guards making over $100K per year. In Mexico we could offer guards $20K a year and they would be lining up for the jobs. It's time to break the choke hold of these unions on CA. This would address this problem. It would allow us to weaken the power of these unions.

3) Detaining illegal immigrants in CA is not practical, and is a huge waste of money. It makes sense to deport them to a place where CA and the Federal Government knows and trusts; especially if they are dangerous. After all the reason we don't just turn them over to the Mexican authorities is because we want to make sure they are incarcerated. We want to make sure they don't just get released and then come back into the US (which they currently do).

4) The Prisons in Mexico would serve a dual purpose, as a prison, and a detention / processing center for illegal immigrants deported from the US. Whenever an illegal immigrant is arrested here in CA (or any state) they would immediately be sent to one of these prisons/centers. There they will be processed, tried in a Mexican or US (or combo) court and sentenced. No more detaining illegals in the US. Ship them out immediately. People that are not Mexican could be deported elsewhere from this center as well; once their term is complete.

5) This would be a great way to team up with Mexico to address this immigration problem. We would be providing them with long-term jobs, and boost their economy while also helping our own security. It's a win win.

6) These prisons would be a joint venture between The Fed, States, and Mexico. Because the illegal immigration problem is a Federal and State issue, both would be involved in these prisons. Funding would come from both the Fed and the State. The Fed will be in charge of the tracking of illegals and submitting criminal records to immigration, local police and to all parties involved in determining citizenship eligibility. We also need to be tracking fugitives of the Mexican government that find there way into America, we need to know to detain them if they are picked up.

BOTTOM LINE: We need to be working with Mexico on this problem on way or another.

[Shelly]

Here is what I think: If this Republican had some insight, he'd release prisoners who are (a) incapacitated by illness, etc. (b) elderly and not likely to cause a problem if released back into society. There would be more room and we would not be spending MORE MONEY by PAYING MEXICO to build new prisons. This has got to be the most stupid idea so far. And, I'm sure there are many prisoners who shouldn't be locked up to begin with because they are in by mistake or their crime is negligible. That's what I think.

[Guadalupe Jimenez (Mexican-American)]

Doesn't Mr.Scharzeneggaer realize that shipping imates south will not solve the overcrowding problem. These imates have U.S. Citizen families here that care what happens to them. We can not just hide our problem in another country that has major violence issues with the drug cartels. I suppose the prisons in Mexico are more secure?? Get real Arnold. Sending the prisoners south just adds more fuel to the fire!! Don't you wish it was that simple.....Maybe in Hollywood;)?

[El Mexicano-Americano]

Do they really pay you to come up with ideas like this one? We have a very intelligent governor for CALLifornia. No girlie man here. Let's ship our California Legislatures south and keep them there until they balance the State Budget!!!!

[Katiee]

Forget about Mexico, how about Italy, France, England, China and Japan? We could build prisons there and have the Governor work there for free.

Another stupid idea from the B actor governor - poor Maria!

[dc_post]

They are not supposed to be here in the first place. Why would we even build the prison down there and create jobs for the locals? Build a tent city and send them back across. Or, send them to the very souther tip of Mexico so we have a full week before they get back to Sand Diego, go to one of the nice ER's and get a free energy boost.

[IvanG]

Good idea. Do it.

[Honey]

To the defenders of Mexico, lets keep it in perspective, the vast majority of illegal immigrants are from Mexico, that is why you hear most every reference to illegals associate the nation with the people. Its kind of funny that the governor would make such a statement after telling us, Illegals are not a problem, just a few short months ago. I guess really looking at the numbers, and not taking a word for it, will finally help alot

[Cheryl L. Mozdrech]

Of course we should send them back. Also, we should not have to pay anything. we have enough issues on our American country. Why don't we try to spend our money on helping our people. As you already know, we have tons of problems that our Americans are facing (Health wise).

[al di]

send all the bad mexicans back to their country. why should law abiding Americans pay for all the transgressions that the bad Mexicans do in the united States

[adios]

send them,send them, so when ther time is up they simply walk right back into the USA. ITS EASIER FOR THEM TO COME HERE THAN TO BE SENT BACK.