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| Supreme Court orders California to release tens of thousands of prison inmates |
| 2011-05-23 |
| The Supreme Court ordered California on Monday to release tens of thousands of its prisoners to relieve overcrowding, saying that "needless suffering and death" had resulted from putting too many inmates into facilities that cannot hold them in decent conditions. It is one of the largest prison release orders in the nation's history, and it sharply split the high court. Justices upheld an order from a three-judge panel in California that called for releasing 38,000 to 46,000 prisoners. Since then, the state has transferred about 9,000 state inmates to county jails. As a result, the total prison population is now about 32,000 more than the capacity limit set by the panel. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, speaking for the majority, said California's prisons had "fallen short of minimum constitutional requirements" because of overcrowding. As many as 200 prisoners may live in gymnasium, he said, and as many as 54 prisoners share a single toilet. Kennedy insisted that the state had no choice but to release more prisoners. The justices, however, agreed that California officials should be given more time to make the needed reductions. In dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia called the ruling "staggering" and "absurd." He said the high court had repeatedly overruled the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for ordering the release of individual prisoners. Now, he said, the majority were ordering the release of "46,000 happy-go-lucky felons." He added that "terrible things are sure to happen as a consequence of this outrageous order." Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with him. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #17 The answer to this problem is very simple. It can be summed up in two words. "Organ banks" |
| Posted by: Silentbrick - Lost Drill Bit Division - Halliburton 2011-05-23 23:39 |
| #16 Women do get allot of chances so those who are locket up tend to be real baddies. Airandee I didn't know that figure on women. Something has got to give. I still think work programs would help in transition. Being productive perhaps even sending money home or repaying damages on a sliding scale. Those in isolation or high security got there for a reason and may never see freedom. |
| Posted by: Dale 2011-05-23 22:30 |
| #15 Women have a much lower Recividism rate than men. 50% versus 65% for men. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2011-05-23 21:23 |
| #14 Women have a much lower Recividism rate than men. 50% versus 65% for men. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2011-05-23 21:23 |
| #13 why realease non viloent women instead of men? Women do as much shit now as men do but get a leaner sentence because they are women. What happened too we are equal? |
| Posted by: chris 2011-05-23 20:09 |
| #12 several simple steps to ease over crowding: 1) Execute all those on death row. 2) Put all murders in one prison and pass out knives. 3) release all non-violent NON-American criminals back to country of origin; but at furthest point from US 4) release enough non-violent women prisoners to close an entire prison |
| Posted by: airandee 2011-05-23 19:18 |
| #11 Following the example of Sarpoza prison in Kandahar. The unltimate "inside job." Nicely done. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-05-23 19:13 |
| #10 I think it's a great idea. Bus the "tens of thousands of prisoners" to the neighborhoods where the judges live and let them go THERE. At 9 p.m. Pass the popcorn. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2011-05-23 19:10 |
| #9 i agree with steve, let the ppl charged with possesion of drugs under a certain amount out and see just how many that is. Not too mention parole violators who may have violated ona technicality or simple imfraction that violated them. Do some of you ppl really think that everyone in prison or jail are the monsters that the goverment has you believe they are? Of course the6y are gonna make you think that because they are the ones who put them there when they couldn't pay the fines or wouldn't pay them. Come too GA where probably over 50% of the ppl have been or are currently on probation including me. Yeah that's right a criminal on rantburg! |
| Posted by: chris 2011-05-23 18:46 |
| #8 I'd prefer we keep the "needless suffering and death" inside the walls rather than put it back out on the street. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2011-05-23 18:06 |
| #7 California could quickly, easily and cheaply put all overflow prisoners in Joe Arpaio style tent jails. Yeah, but Moonbeam wants an excuse to raise taxes. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2011-05-23 17:57 |
| #6 Review the records for the most dangerous, incorrigible, and the greatest threat to society. Won't happen - those people are members of the Legislatures (Assemblymen in CA?), the Governor(s), and Advocate Judges (including Federal and the 9th Circus). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2011-05-23 16:30 |
| #5 Review the records for the most dangerous, incorrigible, and the greatest threat to society. Then execute them to make room for the bottom feeders, since that was how they handled it not that long ago and avoided prison overpopulation. In fact prisons were a humane alternative to the standard practice of executions. Of course now the executions will occur in our streets, our businesses, our neighborhoods care of the ruling judicial class, without any due process or appeal. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-05-23 16:06 |
| #4 I'll bet a few thousand are dime-store mooks swept up for pot possession in the War on Drugs. Let them out first and see how crowded the prisons are after that. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-05-23 16:03 |
| #3 CA seems headed for a societal "Perfect Storm" |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2011-05-23 15:42 |
| #2 California could quickly, easily and cheaply put all overflow prisoners in Joe Arpaio style tent jails. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-05-23 15:21 |
| #1 "It's the economy stupid". What are these people going to do to earn a living. With a record not much. The only option many will have is crime. Recidivism rates for worst offenders I believe is 70%. So they will release the least likely to repeat offenses. Where?, I wouldn't want to live near a prison right now. I wonder how's that rehab been going. They should have been put to work from the start. That way earnings could offset costs to warehouse. Then a skill could have been learned and transferred to whatever(oh I forgot that will take jobs away from illegals). Government employment incentives for employers, Gad not more government or state jobs!. Then register them as democrats that would pass I'm certain. |
| Posted by: Dale 2011-05-23 13:49 |