Friday, April 23, 2021

WILL CALIFORNIA CLOSE DOWN EVEN MORE PRISONS ? ... SEEMS LIKELY

by Bob Walsh

The formerly great state of California has gone thru a huge drop in prison population, due in large part to "realignment" where convicted felons do their time in local lockups rather than state prisons.  Also, changes in the law are making more and more crimes simply life-style choices, like commercial shop lifting and vehicle theft, rather than actual crimes.  

The state currently operates 34 prisons.  One of already scheduled to close before the end of this year, Deuel Vocational Institution outside of Tracy.  The God-Emperor Gavin Newsom is currently seriously thinking about closing down four more in addition to that.  Californians' United For A Responsible Budget (CURB), actually a prisoner advocacy group, is urging the state to close down ten prisons.  

They are supporting the closure of Avenal State Prison (a fairly new facility), CCI Tehachapi, CMC Vacaville (about 70 years old) CMC San Luis Obispo (aka the Old Folks Home), CRC Norco (an old resort hotel which the military used as a hospital and rehab facility), CSP Los Angeles (a fairly new facility), CSATF Corcoran (a fairly new facility), Kern Valley State Prison (a fairly new facility), North Kern State Prison (a fairly new facility) and Pleasant Valley State Prison (a fairly new facility).

The legislature is also possibly moving to severely restrict the use of LWOP sentences, which would further cut into existing service populations.

Just what we need, more violent, dangerous criminals on the streets.

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