March 3, 2008
Sunny Acres parolees asked to leave
The controversy over Sunny Acres continues, this time state agents say parolees must leave.
Here's the latest:
- A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told Action News parolees had to leave because of the facility's numerous code violations.
- So far one parolee was told to get off the property, while four more said they are expected to leave by Monday.
The sudden notice to leave isn't sitting well with the parolees.
LINK - KSBY.com (KSBY 6 Action News)
March 3, 2008
Dozens Rally Outside Coalinga State Hospital
Coalinga State Hospital sits about 60 miles southwest of Fresno and is home to more than 1,000 sexually violent predators from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "Less than one percent of all sexual offenders are in this category of 'sexually violent predators'. They are the worst of the worst," said Nancy Kincaid, Spokesperson for Coalinga State Hospital.
Jammie Stallworth's husband was convicted for lewd acts with a minor, and is now receiving rehabilitation at Coalinga State. Jammie was part of a group gathered outside the hospital Sunday, advocating for the release of her husband and other sexually violent predators from the facility. "I'm not saying that it wasn't wrong. But they've done all their time like any other criminal," said Stallworth.
But unlike other criminals, those housed in Coalinga State are typically repeat sexual offenders who have completed their prison sentence, but are ordered to extended treatment.
LINK - KMPH.com (Fox 26)
March 3, 2008
Prison count and priorities (Editorial)
California's governor and lawmakers needn't look to the Department of Corrections for help with the budget crisis. That's a growth industry that will only get bigger - and hungrier for tax dollars.
A study by the Pew Center tells us that one in every 99.1 adults in the United States is currently behind bars, either in federal or state prisons, or in county or city jails. That's more than any other country in the world.
The reasons for the explosive inmate growth are varied, but primarily it's because Americans grew weary of being victims of crime, and got tougher on criminals.
LINK - SantaMariaTimes.com
March 2, 2008
Is it all immigrants’ fault?
Editorial: Crime would decrease if U.S. deported American-born citizens and replaced them with immigrants
When I write about efforts by city governments to use eminent domain and other property-rights-sapping and tax-spending "tools" to redevelop local cities (i.e., Santa Ana's Renaissance Plan), some readers cheer on these ham-fisted plans because they will "clean up" areas populated by illegal immigrants. When I write about law enforcement and jail issues, and infrastructure issues also, people call and blame the region's crime and congestion problems on – you guessed it! – illegal immigrants. Pick an issue – any issue, no matter how seemingly far afield from immigration – and I've heard from readers who have made an immigration connection.
There's always some truth to these arguments, but they rarely are made in a rational way, and they rarely are based on any careful look at the data…
LINK - OCRegister.com (Orange County Register)
March 2, 2008
Governor’s Budgetary Bombshell
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled a slash-and-burn state budget nearly two months ago, saying drastic action was needed to close the state's chronic ever-growing deficits and seemingly rejecting new taxes to do it.
From the onset, however, it remained uncertain how serious he was about erasing the deficit without new revenue demanded by Democrats, even though his aides kept insisting that he would, indeed, be willing to sign such a budget.
Then Schwarzenegger dropped a big hint that he wasn't quite as determined as he had portrayed himself, telling The Bee's editorial board that his budget was meant to "rattle the cages" of legislators, impressing them with the gravity of the situation in hopes that they'd agree to some kind of long-term budget reform.
LINK - SacBee.com
March 2, 2008
AP finds 13,000 claims of abuse in juvenile detention centers
The Columbia Training School - pleasant on the outside, austere on the inside - has been home to 37 of the most troubled young women in Mississippi.
If some of those girls and their advocates are to be believed, it also is a cruel and frightening place.
The school has been sued twice in the past four years. One suit brought by the U.S. Justice Department, which the state settled in 2005, claimed detainees were thrown naked in to cells and forced to eat their own vomit. The second one, brought by eight girls last year, said they were subjected to "horrendous physical and sexual abuse." Several of the detainees said they were shackled for 12 hours a day…
LINK - AP.org (Associated Press)
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March 1, 2008
Fool’s Gold (EDITORIAL)
by Patti Sewall, Editor of PEACEKeeper
When my family first moved to Sacramento from Southern California many years ago, we became quite familiar with Folsom Lake and the wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities it offered. As a youngster, what I loved the most was the shoreline that was much different from the sandy, salt water beaches I was used to. At Folsom Lake, the beaches gave off a kind of rocky glow that had kids of all ages falling to their knees to collect the flat and shiny pieces of fragile gold sand that dotted the lake shore. At first glance, it appeared we had found our fortunes. However, closer inspection proved we had been teased by one of nature's many perfect little tricksters-Fool's Gold...
March 1, 2008
From the President:
by Mike Jimenez, CCPOA
Every new year brings both a desire for a better future and resolution to correct the faults of the past. As we enter the year 2008, the leadership team of CCPOA is no different than anyone else. We want the best future for our members, whether that be through training, safe working places, or equitable pay with other law enforcement professionals. Unfortunately, we currently work for an administration that does not value or understand the hard work of correctional peace officers...
March 1, 2008
COVER STORY: Sybil Schwarzeneggger
by Lance Corcoran, CCPOA Chief Communications Officer
The 1976 made-for-television movie, Sybil, starring Sally Field, told the true-life story of a troubled young woman who developed 13 separate and distinct personalities. Over the last few years, anyone who has been paying attention to statements from Arnold Schwarzenegger regarding the budget and the prison crisis may be wondering if our movie star governor has done the same...
