August 6, 2009
The murder of Lily Burk drives home the dangers of early prisoner release plans
When the Legislature reconvenes later this month, lawmakers will debate Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's controversial plan to release 27,000 low- and moderate-risk inmates early as part of a cost-cutting measure that could save the state $1.2 billion over the next three years.
And that could just be the beginning. On Tuesday, a panel of three federal judges ruled that the state must reduce California's burgeoning prison population by 43,000 inmates. The ruling was based on a lawsuit filed by inmates complaining that overcrowding led to dangerous health conditions. Some prisons in San Diego, Chino and Shasta have already begun releasing inmates, including some convicted of weapons charges.
Today, the murder of Lily Burk — a 17-year-old high school senior with a promising future — has poured proverbial gasoline on the fiery debate, strengthening the hand of some law enforcement groups and officials who urge the governor's office to reconsider the proposals for public safety reasons. Others, such as the California Police Chiefs Association, have expressed more openness to the prison population reduction program, but are waiting to see its final details….
LINK - PasadenaWeekly.com
