Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to significantly shrink the footprint of California's prison system, partly because of massive budget cuts prompted by the pandemic but also because of philosophy.For what segment of the California electorate will these actions improve the quality of life? For criminals and their families. Having more criminals on the street, instead of behind bars, makes the quality of life worse for everyone else.
The revised budget he sent to state lawmakers this week envisions closing two state prisons in the coming years; cutting nearly one in five of the 43 inmate firefighter camps; and eventually closing all three state-run juvenile prisons.
He's also seeking unspecified increases to sentencing credits that allow inmates to leave prison more quickly. And he proposes to shorten parole to a maximum of two years, down from five years for felonies, and let ex-felons earn their way off supervision in just a year, or 18 months for sex offenders.
Imagine for a moment Gavin Newsom hates law-abiding, middle-class Californians. Wouldn’t this be exactly the sort of thing he’d do to them, infest their neighborhoods with thugs, child molesters and pushers?
It’s time to revive snark which, first time I heard it, related to a Boeing layoff in the Seattle area. The 21st century CA version is, will the last middle class family leaving CA for greener pastures please turn off the lights.
