CA GOVERNOR WANTS TO SHUT DOWN A PRISON

by Bob Walsh

This isn't knew. California has been trying to shut down a prison or three pretty much ever since there has been a California. The usual target is San Quentin. Due to it's age its cost of maintenance per inmate is higher than any other prison in the state, and the real estate there is very, very valuable.

Another likely candidate is CRC Norco. This was originally a resort hotel, taken over by the military during WW II. It is almost as decrepit as San Quentin.

That being said, the federal courts now have a great deal of sayso over CDCr operations and even after flushing a huge number of turds into the county system the state system still has crowding issues. In addition the California Correctional Peace Officer's Association is still a political force to be reckoned with in California. Also, prisons are major money generators for local economies.

The prison system in the formerly great state of California takes up $15.8 billion dollars for the current fiscal year.

Much of the noise along these lines is touting rehabilitation instead of punishment. I can assure you, based on many years of experience, rehabilitation is bullshit. The system can not rehabilitate criminals. The system CAN provide services and opportunities for criminals who have finally gotten tired of the madness and who WANT to change. The system can not compel chance, and can not even really effectively propel chance. Most criminals are self-described criminals. They view "criminal" as a valid life-style or occupational choice. Going to the slammer once in a while is part of the cost of doing business. Most crime, especially property crime, is committed by a fairly small number of repeat life-long criminals. The way to stop the crime is to lock the criminals up until they get too old or too tired to continue.