Coalition asks where’s the “reform” in Governor’s $11 billion prison building proposal?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
CONTACTS:
John Lum 916-995-2379
Rose Braz 510-435-6809
“Despite those defeats, opinion polls evidencing public opposition to more prison construction, and a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, the Governor is asking the legislature to invest $11 billion more in the notoriously mismanaged Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) while eliminating cost of living increases for people on welfare and barring some families from receiving state aid,” said Yvonne Cooks, Executive Director of the California Coalition for Women in Prison (CCWP). CCWP is a member of Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), a statewide coalition of 40 organizations committed to reducing prison spending by reducing the number of people in prison and closing prisons.
The other area of state spending the Governor proposes expanding is health care. “It’s unclear how the Governor thinks he is going to pay for all these prisons and the expansion of health care. What a wonderful message about California’s future it would be if we invested in health care rather than prisons,” said Kris Lev-Twombly of CURB. A Field Poll released just last week found that 76% of likely voters support expanding government programs to cover the estimated 6.5 million California residents who are uninsured.
In sharp contrast to voter support for expanding health care spending, four recent statewide polls of likely voters all found that Californians favor cuts to prison spending over any other area of the state budget. A May 2006 poll found that 61% believed that “we have built enough jails in California and now need to consider alternative ways to rehabilitate non-violent criminals, including treatment programs that help them get back into society.”
The Governor’s move comes as a federal court is threatening to place a cap on the number of people California can lock up. “What the Governor ignores is that building is not an immediate solution to anything. The last prison built by CDCR was approved in 1999 but did not open until 2005. The only immediate solution to the problem is to reduce the number of people in prison,” said University of Southern California Professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore, an expert on the CDCR.
The Governor’s current plan also proposes the creation of a Sentencing Commission, but that commission could only recommend, not enact, changes to sentencing laws. The plan also suggests California consider revising its parole policy -- a policy that unlike other states, currently places everyone who serves a prison sentence on parole and sends more people to prison for parole violations. “California is again putting prison construction in front of reform. Real reform would mean we could avoid building more prison, jail and juvenile detention beds,” said John Lum, Public Policy Coordinator for CURB. Enacting a moratorium on sending people to prison for technical violations could free up thousands of beds.
Critics also attacked the Governor’s plan to use controversial lease revenue bond funding. “The only reason to build prisons using lease revenue bonds is because everyone knows voters oppose more prison construction,” noted Laura Magnani of American Friends Service Committee, also members of CURB. “The polls say only 3% of Californians prioritize prison construction. Using a lease-revenue bond is more expensive and allows politicians to make an end run around voters.”
Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) is a broad based statewide coalition of over 40 organizations committed to curbing prison spending by reducing the number of people in prison and closing prisons.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
CONTACTS:
John Lum 916-995-2379
Rose Braz 510-435-6809
Coalition asks where’s the “reform” in Governor’s $11 billion prison building proposal?
Voters favor funding health care and oppose building more prisons
Voters favor funding health care and oppose building more prisons
SACRAMENTO- In his State of the State address today and budget address on Wednesday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to reiterate his controversial proposal to build 78,000 new prison, jail and juvenile detention beds. This is the Governor’s third massive prison expansion proposal in one year. The Governor’s previous proposals went down to defeat amidst broad opposition.
“Despite those defeats, opinion polls evidencing public opposition to more prison construction, and a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, the Governor is asking the legislature to invest $11 billion more in the notoriously mismanaged Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) while eliminating cost of living increases for people on welfare and barring some families from receiving state aid,” said Yvonne Cooks, Executive Director of the California Coalition for Women in Prison (CCWP). CCWP is a member of Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), a statewide coalition of 40 organizations committed to reducing prison spending by reducing the number of people in prison and closing prisons.
The other area of state spending the Governor proposes expanding is health care. “It’s unclear how the Governor thinks he is going to pay for all these prisons and the expansion of health care. What a wonderful message about California’s future it would be if we invested in health care rather than prisons,” said Kris Lev-Twombly of CURB. A Field Poll released just last week found that 76% of likely voters support expanding government programs to cover the estimated 6.5 million California residents who are uninsured.
In sharp contrast to voter support for expanding health care spending, four recent statewide polls of likely voters all found that Californians favor cuts to prison spending over any other area of the state budget. A May 2006 poll found that 61% believed that “we have built enough jails in California and now need to consider alternative ways to rehabilitate non-violent criminals, including treatment programs that help them get back into society.”
The Governor’s move comes as a federal court is threatening to place a cap on the number of people California can lock up. “What the Governor ignores is that building is not an immediate solution to anything. The last prison built by CDCR was approved in 1999 but did not open until 2005. The only immediate solution to the problem is to reduce the number of people in prison,” said University of Southern California Professor Ruth Wilson Gilmore, an expert on the CDCR.
The Governor’s current plan also proposes the creation of a Sentencing Commission, but that commission could only recommend, not enact, changes to sentencing laws. The plan also suggests California consider revising its parole policy -- a policy that unlike other states, currently places everyone who serves a prison sentence on parole and sends more people to prison for parole violations. “California is again putting prison construction in front of reform. Real reform would mean we could avoid building more prison, jail and juvenile detention beds,” said John Lum, Public Policy Coordinator for CURB. Enacting a moratorium on sending people to prison for technical violations could free up thousands of beds.
Critics also attacked the Governor’s plan to use controversial lease revenue bond funding. “The only reason to build prisons using lease revenue bonds is because everyone knows voters oppose more prison construction,” noted Laura Magnani of American Friends Service Committee, also members of CURB. “The polls say only 3% of Californians prioritize prison construction. Using a lease-revenue bond is more expensive and allows politicians to make an end run around voters.”
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Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB) is a broad based statewide coalition of over 40 organizations committed to curbing prison spending by reducing the number of people in prison and closing prisons.
posted by Noel at 3:32 PM
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