The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld an order from a panel of judges that required the state of California to reduce its prison population - from around 200 percent of the intended capacity to a mere...137 percent. Criminy.
At any rate, not long after this ruling from the Supreme Court, Dale Gieringer of California's NORML chapter pointed out the rather shocking amount of California inmates jailed for drug-related offenses: nearly 25,000, by his estimate, as of the end of last year. Criminy squared.
Meanwhile, via Boing Boing, Mother Jones provides a photo essay of California's "Jam-Packed Prisons."
We here at the Blog of Walker have noted some of the quirks of the California justice system before.
Update: Victor Davis Hanson on lawlessness in his backyard, far removed from campus life. Mark Steyn on Victor Davis Hanson.
Meanwhile: Computer errors cause release of 450 California inmates at "high risk for violence".
2 comments:
Regarding the drug-related offenses: California is not even the leader in this area. In Federal prisons, a full 50% are serving time on drug offenses; an additional 18% committed other crimes (robbery, etc.) for the purpose of buying drugs. That's an astonishing 68% of the Federal inmate population.
I don't think that drugs should be legalized, but I think that possession should be decriminalized. The drug laws in America (I recently immigrated to Canada from Atlanta) are insane, and mandatory minimum sentencing only makes the problem worse.
The American legal and penal systems are hopelessly broken. It's a crime.
That's an astonishing 68% of the Federal inmate population.
Wow - that's insane.
The American legal and penal systems are hopelessly broken.
Agreed.
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