CA: Governor wants some inmates sent out of state

SFGate.com ^ | 7/8/06 | Mark Martin

[NormsRevenge]

Sacramento -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, as part of a plan costing at least $3.6 billion to alleviate overcrowding in California prisons, is proposing to free up space by contracting with other states to house 5,000 incarcerated illegal immigrants.

A detailed outline of the governor's prison agenda, released Friday, also says the corrections department needs to add more than 51,000 beds -- the equivalent of at least 10 large prisons -- during the next 15 years and offers new insights into the stresses put on a 33-prison system that is operating at nearly 200 percent capacity.

One new proposal is a stark indicator of how dire the state's overcrowding problem has become: The administration wants to limit the number of times inmates can flush toilets as a way to ease environmental problems caused by overtaxed wastewater systems. Officials are even considering reducing the amount of drinking water in prisons because of shortages of fresh water.

The report provides new details of ideas Schwarzenegger mentioned last week when he called for a special legislative session to deal with overcrowding, puts a price tag on some of the proposals and includes several short-term fixes administration officials believe can be made in the next year.

--snip--

One part of the governor's plan would deal with the fact that California houses in its prisons as many as 20,000 illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes.

Schwarzenegger officials said Friday that states like Louisiana, Texas, Michigan and Indiana have available prison beds and that they will seek contracts with those states to send inmates there. The administration would have to change a state law requiring an inmate's permission to be sent out of state, ...

The new legislation would allow the state to ship illegal immigrants out of state without their approval.

[EagleUSA]

Hey Arnie -- at the same time, how about Feinstein, Boxer and Pelosi too. And as many of thier socialist ilk as you can round up.

Thanks!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Illegals are a federal problem; therefore, they should be housed in federal prisons. The ones whose sentences are less than 5 years should be deported immediately.

[LucyT]

Let's outsource them to Iraq or some other country that needs the money to help raise their standard of living.

[Mo1]

is proposing to free up space by contracting with other states to house 5,000 incarcerated illegal immigrants

Why not deport them out of the country .. instead to another state?

[staytrue]

One of his defeated initiatives involved the public employees unions which would include the prison guards.

More than one way to skin a cat.

Next up, privatization of the schools.

[Dog Gone]

The administration wants to limit the number of times inmates can flush toilets as a way to ease environmental problems caused by overtaxed wastewater systems. Officials are even considering reducing the amount of drinking water in prisons because of shortages of fresh water.

Okay, there's NO WAY things have gotten that bad in California. I'm not buying it.

[Bernard Marx]

Please, Arnold, send them off to the tender mercies of Sheriff Arpaio in Phoenix! By the time he's finished with them they'll be happy to be back in Mexico permanently!

[Grampa Dave]

How many old Navy ships and in particuliar troop ships are in mothball at various places.

Put the prisoners in these ships with minimal renovation and have armed guards with shoot to kill orders insuring that no prisoners get off the anchored ships.

Put those in jail for minor problems in fire fighting gangs er groups, grafetti removal and street cleaning in our major cities.

Export the job to China or a similiar country.

[digger48]

They have to make sure there's plenty to water the golf courses and lawns built in the friggin desert

[marajade]

"Why not deport them out of the country .. instead to another state?"

Regardless of the crime they were sentenced for?

[monkeywrench]

There has been talk of building prisons in mexico for some time, now. This is probably an article designed to get people to think that way.

[marajade]

"Please, Arnold, send them off to the tender mercies of Sheriff Arpaio in Phoenix!"

You think its bad enough for CA to be threatened with the Feds coming in? Sending them to Maricopa County would be even worse. Arpaio has one of the worst civil court records of judgments against him then any other sheriff in comparison.

[television is just wrong]

we still need a huge wall to keep them out...

[marajade]

Nothing about the abuse issue in the article? Is this Arnold's response to the threat by the Feds to come in and take over?

[Dog Gone]

Southern California has always had water problems because it's a desert.

A desert that 18 bazillion people decided to live in.

But if it's necessary to restrict toilet flushing and fresh water for drinking in prisons there, I want to hear a lot more stories about car washes being shut down, lawns not being watered, and golf courses turning into dust and sand.

[Mo1]

It would depend on the nature of the crime

But yes ... deport majority of them

[Mo1]

Here in Philly they built flush-less toilets in one of the new buildings

Though .. the unions were upset about that and pipes still had to be put in .. though they won't be used

Go figure

[marajade]

Thanks for the clarification.

[marajade]

The issue isn't the effect on the environment, the issue is surrounding the use of water and the disposal of it in an overcrowded prison and the problems as to resources it will bring with it.