Governor wants to reshape approach to women prisoners

modbee ^ | 2-11-06

[LouAvul]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to move 40 percent of the state's female inmates out of their cells and into neighborhood correctional centers.

The plan for female convicts is in the state budget the governor proposed last month.

It calls for about 4,500 female inmates to be able to live closer to their families and receive education, job training, drug and alcohol counseling.

The new centers would be secure facilities run by private companies under contract to the state. Only inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes would be eligible. Some prisoners would be allowed to have their children live with them.

Most of the governor's plan requires legislative approval, and its chances are unknown.

California has seen a steady increase in its female inmate population and now houses 11,400 women, almost twice the 1990 level. About 66 percent of female prisoners are serving time for nonviolent crimes, with an average stay in state custody of 13 months.

The proposal offers the state a way to ease the severe overcrowding plaguing the correctional system.

[LouAvul]

live closer to their families

Hmmm. I can see a problem with this, already.

[cripplecreek]

Back when I was a jail inmate I worked as a trustee at a senior center away from the jail. To me it seemed more natural that female inmates would work with the elderly, so I asked about it.

It turns out that they tried it and found that the females had a much greater tendency to walk away.

[Wheens]

And why, pray tell, should women be cut more slack than men?
I thought the drill was "anything you men can do, we can to"...except, I guess, hard time.