Prison Bill Gutted in California

The reforms that would have helped to curb recidivism in the California prison crisis were gutted from their prison bill, leaving only the money to build more prisons. As one lawmaker put it, "the only winner here today is the Sealy mattress company." The legislature approved 53,000 new beds but cut the parole reforms, commissions and community women's centers.

SACRAMENTO — The Legislature on Thursday passed a sweeping spending package to ease overcrowding in California prisons but did not tackle several problems that experts say are driving the long-running crisis.

While lawmakers celebrated their vote to add 53,000 beds to the state corrections system and boost rehabilitation for inmates, critics beyond the Capitol worried that other ideas left out of the $7.4-billion deal might be sidelined for good.

For example, the package excluded any effort to deal with the state's discredited parole system. Also omitted was a commission to review California's Byzantine sentencing laws.

A third proposal that has drawn particularly high marks from criminologists — to move 4,500 nonviolent female offenders out of prison to correctional centers near their homes — was missing from the agreement as well.
LA TIMES