NEWS:

Prison Contraband
Dispatch from San Quentin: Why inmates want cell phones
By Richard Gilliam, The Informant -- An inmate I’ll call Donny lays on his bed grinning, sending text messages and pictures to his girlfriend, while a nearby inmate keeps lookout for him. He’s watching to make sure a guard doesn’t walk up on Donny unnoticed. After chatting with his girl for a while, Donny will go online and update his Facebook page or check out other sites on the World Wide Web.

Parole
Calif. fugitive tracked down in Cut Bank after Facebook posts
By Sanjay Talwani, Helena Independent Records -- A man who absconded from parole in California 12 years ago after shooting a man has been arrested in Cut Bank, where authorities say he’s been working harvests for a decade.

Facebook leads Mont. cops to Calif. parole jumper
The Associated Press -- A man who absconded from parole in California 12 years ago has been arrested in northern Montana after police tracked him down through updates on his Facebook page.

Most California parolees back in prison in 3 years
By Bob Egelko, SF Gate -- More than two-thirds of paroled inmates in California are back in prison within three years, with the highest rates among younger inmates and those with shorter sentences, according to a new state report.

CDCR Miscellaneous & Related
Marin sues state over San Quentin death row plan
By Nels Johnson, The Marin Independent Journal -- Marin County will sue the state over San Quentin State Prison's death row expansion plan, saying Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger broke the law when he vetoed an effort delaying the $356 million project.

Corrections Officer Arrested On Drug Charges
By Ron Jones, CBS-13 -- A Folsom State Prison correctional officer was arrested on accusations that he forged doctors' prescriptions in order to illegally obtain painkillers, according to authorities.

Calif's 3-year recidivism rate climbs slightly
The Associated Press -- A new state report shows 67.5 percent of California prison inmates who were paroled in 2005-06 returned to prison within three years.

OPINION:

Brown’s win a victory for green energy
By Tom Hayden, The Los Angeles Times -- During the campaign season, it was easy to dismiss the idea of a green energy future for California as mere campaign rhetoric. But with the second coming of Jerry Brown, the reelection of Barbara Boxer and voter endorsement of state policies to curb global warming, California really is poised to lead the country to a greener future.

ONLINE COMMENTARY:

Law restricting where sex offenders can live is unconstitutional, L.A. judge rules
By Andrew Blankstein, LA Times -- Saying sex offenders are being forced to choose between prison and homelessness, a Los Angeles judge issued an opinion this week blocking enforcement of provisions a state law restricting how close those offenders can live from parks or schools.

California to break ground on new prison medical facility
By Jon Ortiz, The Sacramento Bee -- The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and California Prison Health Care Services will break ground Thursday morning for a 1,722-bed, 1.2 million-square-foot medical facility for inmates southeast of Stockton. The ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. with several officials on hand, including Receiver J. Clark Kelso and CDCR Secretary Matthew Cate.

Capitol Punishment’s Latest Challenge: Foreign Drugs
By Nathan Koppel, The Wall Street Journal -- It’s an unusual period for capital punishment. Some states continue to encounter a pretty fundamental obstacle: they can’t get their hands on thiopental sodium, one of the key drugs used in lethal injections.