By Bob Walsh
In 2019 the formerly great state of California had
129,417 people locked up in state prisons. That number is now 93,579.
Those numbers can be considered a bit deceiving as a whole lot of people
in California jails are doing felony convictions there rather than in
state prison due to "realignment." That is liberal speak for "we are
going to fool the counties into agreeing to take felony prisoners
long-term." It worked.
The
state currently plans to shut down Chuckawalla Valley State Prison.
This is a relatively new prison but is hard to staff. It is on the back
side of nowhere. It isn't hell but you can see hell from the parking
lot.
The state has already
closed down Deuel Vocational Institution at Tracy and the California
Correctional Center, one or two state prisons near Susanville. They
have also closed down significant sections (called yards) of other
prisons, though this does not give the same cost savings and actually
closing down a whole prison.
Last
year the Department of Corrections (and Rehabilitation) cost the state
$14.8 billion. Next year the tentative budget is $14.3 billion. The
legislative analysts office estimates that closing down five more
prisons could save the state $1 billion. Gavin Newsom, the HMFIC of the
formerly great state of California, is at least in public opposing
additional closures. He wants to hang on to the public employee unions
endorsements as much as possible.
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