Gavin Newsom wants to close a California state prison. It won’t be easy
BY WES VENTEICHER Gov. Gavin Newsom is talking about an idea that has hung around California for more than 150 years: closing a state prison. Newsom brought up the idea at a meeting earlier this month with The Fresno Bee editorial board as part of a broader conversation on criminal justice reform. “I would like […]
Innovative Incarceration: Lower Costs, Safer Citizens
. by Edward Ring . The average annual cost to house a prisoner in California is $71,000, and according to the California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, the cost has risen 45% since just 2011. And as costs have soared, California’s policymakers have resorted to creative ways to release inmates from California’s overcrowded prisons. But what if that Californian […]
Participant in Cliven Bundy standoff sentenced to 68 years in prison
LAS VEGAS — A participant in the 2014 armed standoff between federal agents and supporters of rancher Cliven Bundy was sentenced to 68 years in prison Wednesday despite pleas from his lawyer for leniency related to his deteriorating health. Gregory Burleson, 53, sat in a wheelchair while attorney Terrence Jackson stood next to him in […]
Ex-Calif. State Sen. Leland Yee, gun control champion, heading to prison for weapons trafficking
By Yanan Wang (Excerpt) This Wednesday, Yee received a five-year prison sentence for accepting bribes and trafficking in arms. After initially denying culpability, Yee pleaded guilty to the charges last summer. “I hope that in your sentencing of me, you will look at my entire life and not just these crimes I have committed,” the […]
Guest Commentary – No on Prop 57: Hold Politicians Accountable
By Guest Contributor: Robert Masson Proposition 57 is not only dangerous for the residents of California, voting it into law would reinforce a precarious trend by our state’s highest elected officials to transfer their failings in the prison system to the law-abiding people of California. The popular debate regarding Proposition 57 seemingly hinges […]
Drone Carrying Drugs and Blades Crash In US Prison
A drone hauling mobile phones, drugs, hacksaw blades and other items–all of which were hanging in a bundle from a fishing line–crashed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary before prisoners could grab anything,officials said. The drone is said to have run into razor wire on prison walls, mid-flight. Its operator lost control of the UAV, and […]
Board of Supervisors Off-Site Meeting: AB 109 Public Safety Realignment
By Sheryl Hamlin The October 13, 2015 Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting was held off-site in the council chambers of Santa Paula. This is the fourth installment in a series about this meeting. Previous installments covered: Public Comments, County Health and Santa Paula Creek. Item 17, the Public Safety Realignment Implementation Update report, was […]
Time to Give Taxpayers a (Prison) Break
By Thomas L. Knapp Daniel Webster was from New England, but one of his most famous quotes merits recognizing him as an honorary Floridian: “Every man’s life, liberty, and property are in danger when the Legislature is in session.” In special session last week, Florida’s House and Senate negotiators agreed on a $2.3 […]
