Prison Reform
California's prison system is the nation's most expensive, most violent, most crowded, and the least effective in reforming and rehabilitating criminals. All the while, Arnold Schwarzenegger has done nothing, presiding over a prison meltdown that by his own admission could lead to the release of tens of thousands of inmates onto our streets.
Under Arnold Schwarzenegger's watch:
- California has lost track of 20,000 parolees.
- California's prisons are understaffed by 3,000 personnel.
- Schwarzenegger's $1.5 billion per year prison health system has been placed under the control of a federal judge.
Still, Schwarzenegger has failed to act and California's prisons remain in crisis.
Phil Angelides will protect public safety and fix Governor Schwarzenegger's prison mess. As Governor, Angelides will:
- Declare a state of emergency for California's prisons
- Expedite hiring of staff for both prisons and parole
- Immediately increase prison capacity by opening two unused prisons
- Personally contact the federal judge who holds California's prison health care system in receivership and schedule a meeting within 30 days
- Name the Cabinet Secretary and top-level managers at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and give them 90 days to produce a prison recovery plan that will:
A. Increase prison capacity by building new prisons and assuring completion within 3 years of authorization
B. Improve and expand rehabilitation, education and job training
C. Improve mental health and substance abuse treatment
D. Provide a new focus on juvenile diversion programs
E. Set a goal to take the prison health care system out of federal receivership by the end of Angelides' first term
To learn more about Angelides' comprehensive prison recovery plan, click here. | 
