Wide-Ranging Prison Reform Needed in '07

Summary

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We're glad to see that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is putting many aspects of California's correctional system on the table in his proposal to expand the state's prisons. The plan he announced last week represents a good starting point for attacking the state's highest-priority issue for 2007.

The governor's hand has been forced by a federal judge's June deadline to ease overcrowding in the prisons. Federal judges already oversee several aspects of the state system, including inmate health care and treatment of the mentally ill. The June deadline carries the threat that federal courts could cap the inmate population, order prisoners released and/or tap the state treasury to address correctional failings.

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Extract

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Wide-Ranging Prison Reform Needed in '07

Schwarzenegger's proposal includes not only building more prison and jail facilities, but also a commission to review the state's sentencing guide...

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