Thousands of California inmates are to be released. The catch? Inmates who participate in self help programs and/or earn a college degree can get credit reductions on their sentence. This is suppose to reduce the prison population by 7 percent (roughly 9,500 inmates) over 4 years according to CBS Los Angeles. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/03/24/nearly-9500-inmates-to-be-released-from-california-state-prisons/
I think it’s about time we address California’s prison population, and the rate of recidivism. People are continuously getting locked up because as a State, we just want to lock up people and forget about them. We don’t give any support to help inmates integrate back into society. As a community, we do not give inmates the tools to survive out here.
Craig Lally from LAPD Protective League, spoke about the victims and that early release could potentially release violent inmates. What he doesn’t know or explain is that many violent inmates are housed in level 4 and 3 prisons. Most of these prisons do not offer college courses, and self help groups are limited. Even in lower level prisons, college courses are generally not offered, thus in theory sounds good but wont help most inmates.
I hope the program works to to give inmates the tools so they do not go back to prison.
Law Office of Jimmy Cha, a Criminal Defense Lawyer in Fullerton