California's political prisoners.... (San Francisco: schools, living, professionals)

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by edwardius

When psych patients are unmedicated or inadequatedly treated in an understaffed facility, yes they can be dangerous.

But it would be much cheaper to treat them in psych hospitals or just by reopening state mental hospitals.

This is easy to say but has little basis in reality. The psych inmates are medicated and treated. The problem is that a lot of them refuse to take the medication and you have to get a court order to force medication. It can be done ... but it's a difficult process and not always successful.

Even with medication these people are extremely dangerous. I wonder if you've ever worked with any of them because I have. I refuse to work in any forensic psych hosiptals because I know I will be assaulted if I do. I know many nurses who refuse to do the same.

I work in the prisons instead because ... while psych inmates are still extremely dangerous ... and we still have incidents every single day, there are enough officers around to handle these incidents and they do a very good job.

If I worked in a forensic hospital ... I would inevitably be beaten or killed, as previously mentioned. There are many, many mental health professionals who have come to work for the prison instead because they were constantly assaulted and feared for their lives. This is why there are chronic staff shortages in forensic hospitals.

The reality is that prison is the only safe environment for mental health professionals to work ... because these inmates are so dangerous. Consequently, these are the only facilities with adequate staffing to effectively treat these inmates.

[socal2009]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

True. As much as a wish to see bad people take a bullet, I know its cheaper to give them life without parole and let them rot in prison.

It is cheaper to exterminate. I am not talking about "death penalty" as it is in CA or in USA, I am talking about massive extermination of current and future prisoners.
Pros:
1. No waisting taxpayers money.
2. Cleaner air.
3. They won't come back and commit more crimes
4. Good lesson for future criminals.

Cons:
Other countries will blame USA for violating human rights. But... a)they are not humans. b) who cares? We did worse things in history, right?

[socal2009]

We have around 2,000,000 prisoners now. If we will exterminate half of them, chosing sentenced for violent crimes and those who are in prison not the first time-that will unload big chunk of expenses from us.
Unfortunately, politicians are chickens. They can only send troops to bomb Iraqis (innocent people) and or Afghanistan mountains.

[BennyPhoenix]

I have a relative who spent some time in prison.
He said he learned a lot from the other prisoners about how to be a better criminal. How to scam, break into anything, steal anything....
Prisoners should not be allowed to communicate with each other.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

No it isn't. The real issue is that the voters saw fit to pass a law to protect honest citizens from career criminals. That's why the law passed.

If people valued money over safety they would have voted against the law.

That law was passed when the economy was going through the Clinton boom years.

In TODAY's economy, with the state broke due to too much spending on prisons, do you think it would pass?

Pretty funny that conservative Kentucky is letting out prisoners in large numbers to save the state money but California won't.

[phloxy]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Racist aspects, oh come on: there are more minorities in prison because there are more minorities that comment crimes. What do you suggest is the answer to that one??

It's discouraging that you believe that nonsense about minorities committing more crimes, because it's simply unfounded.

When the wealthy white kid gets off with a slap on the wrist for the same possession "crime" that an African American does significant time for, we have a race problem in the criminal justice system. When the public defender appointed to a low-income defendant does a half-a**ed job with the defense while a wealthy defendant who can afford his own legal representation gets top-notch legal work, we have a class problem in the criminal justice system. When cops are going into low-income communities of color and creating or embellishing raps sheets for minority youth, we have complete inequality and injustice in the criminal justice system. When laws are passed that lay out stiffer penalties for possession of substances perceived to be used more frequently by nonwhites, the system is broken.

This is institutionalized racism and in many cases disenfranchisement (because felons in some states can no longer vote) by the very system that is supposed to protect our rights to freedom and trial by our peers.

And it has been documented time and time again by activists, lawyers, legal scholars, and law enforcement agents across this once-great country of ours.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by majoun

That law was passed when the economy was going through the Clinton boom years.

In TODAY's economy, with the state broke due to too much spending on prisons, do you think it would pass?

Yeah, sure I do. Voters still want to be protected from career criminals. It's about safety, not money. There's no doubt it costs more to keep them in prison, but people want them locked away so that they are prevented from repeating a long string of crimes.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by socal2009

Exterminate them.

Your suggestion is insensitive, politically incorrect, and doing that would be illegal. In short, it's an impractical and impossible solution.

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by majoun

That law was passed when the economy was going through the Clinton boom years.

In TODAY's economy, with the state broke due to too much spending on prisons, do you think it would pass?

Pretty funny that conservative Kentucky is letting out prisoners in large numbers to save the state money but California won't.

We can do that ... and the federal courts have been threatening to do that for some time but ... the crime rate will go up. Especially because NOBODY is going to employ a criminal in this economy when so many people with no criminal record are looking for work.

Crime has costs too ... especially for the victims. There are inmates who are so institutionalized ... they will commit murder just to make sure they never get out again.

You are talking about street people, basically, who have no where else to go. If it comes down to sleeping in the cold on the streets ... they will definitely commit crimes just to get back in prison ... because it beats living on the streets.

Releasing these guys would make my job easier but ... I also know what these inmates are capable of. It won't be pretty if they are released.

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

Your suggestion is insensitive, politically incorrect, and doing that would be illegal. In short, it's an impractical and impossible solution.

You're right but ... after working with inmates day after day ... I have to admit, I have no sympathy for these people. They really are the worst of the worst. I personally wouldn't mind bringing back the death penalty.