CDCR News
With the state's prison population shrinking rapidly by order of
the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation is scaling back operations and issuing pink slips to many
prison guards and parole agents next week.
The downsizing comes a
year after Gov. Jerry Brown's realignment plan took effect, when the
CDCR handed off the supervision of certain low-level inmates and
parolees to county sheriff's deputies and probation officers.
Layoffs are to take effect Oct. 30, but it remains unknown how many employees would be affected.
Death Penalty
Bob Egelko
Like other state prisoners, the 725 inmates on California's Death Row
can't vote. But if they could, there's evidence that most of them would
vote against a November ballot initiative to abolish the death penalty.
It's not that they want to die, attorney Robert Bryan
said. They just want to hang on to the possibility of proving that
they're innocent, or at least that they were wrongly convicted. That
would require state funding for lawyers and investigators - funding that
Proposition 34 would eliminate for many Death Row inmates after the first round of appeals.
California Inmates
Prisoners at San Quentin, one of
the most notorious prisons in the US, now have a chance to work for NASA.
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Many US prisons give inmates the opportunity to learn new
skills which could help them adjust to life outside their cells.
One of the country's most notorious jails, however, is now
going one step further.
In partnership with NASA, San Quentin is offering prisoners
the chance to contribute to the national space programme.
Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from California. (Click
on the headline to watch the video story)
CDCR Related
Christopher Nelson, California Forward
State prisons, to be sure, contain those offenders who have been
sentenced and will be spending significant time behind bars for a range of
crimes. County jails, on the other hand, are more transient. They deal
with misdemeanor offenses and shorter-term sentences than do prisons. But most often, they house people who are awaiting trial and
have yet to be convicted of any crime. In fact, 71 percent of all jail beds are
currently occupied by pretrial detainees. That is a full 10 percent higher than
the national average.
Two major sea changes under way in California's health care system could have effects beyond the health care system itself.
The Affordable Care Act, in addition to bringing significant changes to California's state prison system, could contribute to increased public safety and a reduction in crime statewide, according to some experts and stakeholders.
The realignment of state and county responsibilities for government health programs also could have similar effects, according to some others.
The Affordable Care Act, in addition to bringing significant changes to California's state prison system, could contribute to increased public safety and a reduction in crime statewide, according to some experts and stakeholders.
The realignment of state and county responsibilities for government health programs also could have similar effects, according to some others.
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