California Prison System - How Do You Fix It?
On May 23, 2011, the United States Supreme Court ordered California to reduce the number of inmates housed in state prisons by over 35,000 prisoners over a 2-year period. Immediately after this decision, California policy makers began to examine how to implement this change. In making this evaluation, they examined the impact on the prison system and the possible impact on the general population. Additionally, they began to identify types of offenders and crimes that might be best suited for release.
In response, provide a complete policy analysis of the case including:
• A brief history of the origin of the Bills AB109 and AB117
• A brief explanation of the problem that the policy aims to address—be sure to examine both the stated rationale and the unstated implications
• The social, political, and criminal justice implications of the policy
• Data about the policy and the problem
• Alternative solutions to the problem
• Your decision: Explain your decision and provide a rationale for why you would or would not approve this measure.
To research the topic, begin with the following resources.
California Corrections Chief Matthew Cate on Supreme Court’s Prison Overcrowding Order [FLV File Size 28.8MB 8.52min]. YouTube website. Retrieved from California Prison Plan [FLV File Size 9.4MB 2.07min]. YouTube website. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF1n_Px75yg&feature=related
Egelko, B. (2011, May 24). California must cut prison population by 30,000. SFGate website. Retrieved from
https://articles.sfgate.com/2011-05-24/news/30222635_1_prison-population-inmates-prison-director
Proposed Bills AB109 and AB 117, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. [PDF File Size 69KB] Retrieved from
https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/About_CDCR/docs/Realignment-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Supreme Court of the United States 2010 Term Opinions: Brown v. Plata [PDF File Size 731 KB] Retrieved from
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-1233.pdf