FEATURE: In The Director's Chair - Page 4

Stop the Revolving Door
by John Sanchez, Retired C.O.

In the Director's Chair

My suggestions on repairing the problem with the criminal justice system in California are based on the fact that California and the system must stop the revolving door. What does that mean? Simply, stop and change what has been going on for years.

I mean no disrespect to parole agents, CCIs, parole regions, etc, but we must get the state Senate and Assembly and governor to legislate out old laws, procedures, and departments. I am proposing a complete dismantling of the parole and probation departments in California. I am proposing new laws that will make straight sentencing laws for convicted offenders. I am proposing a phase out date or dates to commence the sentence structure of the newly convicted.

The state Legislature must enact straight time, with the convicted felons serving every day of the time sentenced. No half-time, credits, or other "get out of prison" passes. The new sentences can be reconfigured and administered as the judge or jury command.

A two-year sentence will mean two complete years served in prison. A three-year, four-year, etc. sentence will be completed as sentenced. The main thing is the convict will do his or her full sentence. Since the state will not need to babysit the felons, the parole department staff can be back in the institutions supervising the inmates. I do not know the costs associated in funding the parole regions in California, but I bet it is a lot of money to babysit inmates out on parole.

I believe that 75 percent of incarcerated inmates are parole violators. Does it make sense to parole and again apprehend these inmates? Does it make sense to have them pick up a new case and try them in court again? I don't think so. New parolee crimes range from petty theft with a prior to murder.

I know, no one likes change. But we must revamp the system to protect the people of California and use the taxpayers money wisely. The state Legislature can set a date when the new sentencing system starts and anyone going to prison on the new date starts doing straight time in prison. The old felons on the old system can finish their time the old way, and if they mess up, they are sentenced under the new system and serve straight time. We must change the system that is in place or it will one day collapse.

Another item of concern is the bloated 602 system that has created a nightmare of bureaucrats at CDCR headquarters. I know duty at department headquarters is nice and cushy. Regular hours, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays off, kissing up to the higher-ups and schmoozing with the empty suits, but, really, do we need a multimillion dollar system for a Dear Abby complaint? The Legislature should dismantle the 602 procedure and hire more chaplains (all brands) to help the inmates through their complaints.

The state should pass a law that any attorney who takes on a case and loses pays all court costs and fees for the defendants. That will ensure no frivolous lawsuits filed by overzealous attorneys. One last thing: how can we get Judge Thelton Henderson off the federal bench and stick him in state employment as the director of Corrections, getting rid of the "rehab" word? The federal government has no room to talk when it comes to running things efficiently.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION
by D.E. Lacey, Parole Agent I, Santa Ana

What's wrong with our prisons? Simple: they are up to their eyeballs in politics! My solution is make the Corrections chief an elected office, like an over-sheriff, answerable directly to the voters. This would make the position free of the politics that change with every rumor and activist move, which the governor must respond to from every field.

We have a huge budget and need topnotch attorneys to defend it -- not borrowed trainees, answerable to the office of the attorney general. Our policies are logical and defensible, but the activists have dedicated attorneys, the CDCR tries to bury its head in the sand (as it has done for 150 years). But that time is over, we are being outed and the public and courts misunderstand totally. The state needs to educate the public so it can save billions in wasteful policies.

Prisons are complex places and it is an enormous mission just to keep the lid on. Rehabilitating the convicts that the courts have selected to give up on is ridiculous. That is the job for God and religion, not guards.

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