Criminals have it easier today thanks to judges, Arnold and Jerry—all of whom have armed bodyguards to protect them.
“In a less extreme case, the Modesto Bee recently filed a report on fewer inmates fearing the threat of jail in Stanislaus County thanks to realignment. Due to jail bed capacity limits and overcrowding, officials say that criminals and repeat offenders aren’t worried about the prospects of a long prison sentence because they know that only the most serious crimes face such punishments. One convict stated, “Ain’t no one really worried about going to jail. They know they are going to get out early.”
The only good news is that we still have Second Amendments rights. While government has decided criminals on the streets are good, and the safety of innocent citizens is not an issue, more folks will decide to protect themselves. We are no longer looking to government for protection. Thanks to Arnold and Jerry, men with armed bodyguards.
Law & Order: Officials Raise Concerns about Realignment; Inmates Don’t Fear Threat of Jail?
California County News, 6/11/12
In an extreme example of the impact of budget woes on public safety, we relayed recently that Josephine County in Oregon was forced to cut to the bone after voters rejected a $12 million a year levy. As a result, inmates laughed and joked about their prospects, since the county simply could not afford to keep so many in jail and was forced to reduce the facility’s number of inmates. Many of those inmates have already been released, including people charged with robbery, assault and sex crimes. Jail deputies in the county have gone so far as to say they feel unsafe since the county’s jail is running on minimum state requirements. Only two deputies now handle the jail’s overnight shift and officials say inmates are well aware of the fact and have acted out because of it.
In a less extreme case, the Modesto Bee recently filed a report on fewer inmates fearing the threat of jail in Stanislaus County thanks to realignment. Due to jail bed capacity limits and overcrowding, officials say that criminals and repeat offenders aren’t worried about the prospects of a long prison sentence because they know that only the most serious crimes face such punishments. One convict stated, “Ain’t no one really worried about going to jail. They know they are going to get out early.”
Some say it’s too early to say if there is a trend between increased crime and realignment but Modesto Police Chief Mike Harden has no such doubts. The Bee reports that “Robbery, burglary and auto thefts have increased in Modesto by 43 percent, 41 percent and 20 percent, respectively, this year.” Chief Harden commented that “People who would otherwise be in jail are now on our streets.”
Due to overcrowding, it is estimated that the average inmate serves less than half of his sentence and the number of participants in the Alternative Work Program or home detention has doubled since the first quarter of 2011. One particular victim is angry that a theft who burglarized her home is back on the streets in her neighborhood because he served half of a 60-day sentence by entering a guilty plea in a grand theft case in exchange for dropping the smaller theft charges. Read the Bee’s full article on the topic here.
And the LA Times has an article on reduced oversight of parolees and states that those without “law enforcement supervision jumped more than sixfold in April.” Read the full article here.
