CDCR STAR - Corrections Clips

NEWS STORIES:

Policy:

Gov.’s surprise bill signings: Harvey Milk recognition, paparazzi restrictions and ammo tracking
By Patrick McGreevy, LA Times -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger surprised many people today by reversing himself on several pieces of legislation and signing bills similar to ones he had previously vetoed. The Republican governor signed a bill, opposed by many conservatives, that requires sellers of handgun ammunition, starting in 2011, to keep a log of information on sales including the buyer's thumbprint, signature and driver's license data.

CDCR Related & Miscellaneous:

Former Prisoner Wins Lawsuit Over Solitary Confinement
The California Report -- Earlier this year, we reported on a petty thief who spent years locked in solitary confinement after California prison officials determined he was a member of a violent prison gang. Throughout his time in solitary, Ernesto Lira insisted he was never a member of any gang. He sued the Department of Corrections over mental disorders he says he developed behind bars. Lira had his day in court -- and won.

Virga Comments On Unsettled Times At C.D.C.R.
By Bill Johnson, My Mother Lode -- Sierra Conservation Center Interim Warden Tim Virga admits these are very unsettled times for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. There are now five vacant warden positions due to many taking early retirement because of the loss of state vehicles and furlough days which has cut into take home pay.

OPINION:

Win some, lose some
San Francisco Chronicle -- After backpedaling from a wholesale veto threat, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger went to work Sunday night, pouring out hundreds of bill signings and several notable rejections. It was a torrent of legislative action that covered the political landscape. Schwarzenegger signed a hard-fought bill to reduce the state's prison population by between 20,000 and 25,000 inmates - still far less than what a federal court has ordered the state to do. The bill would save about $270 million from the prisons budget. It would also reduce caseloads for parole officers.