Lock Up Your Kids California – The Criminals Are Being Released – Please Help

Action Alert: Diane Harkey%u2019s Desk to Yours

August, 2009 | Issue 12
www.asm.ca.gov/ Harkey
Assemblymember.Harkey@assembly.ca.gov

Early Release of Prisoners Part 2 - We need your help!

Commit the Crime - Home in No Time - or Please Raise My Taxes?

Should Public Safety be a partisan issue? When funds get tight in Sacramento it very much is. With Education locking in over 50% of this year's budget, the struggle between welfare and social spending vs. protecting the public (you) is on. Lurking behind the scenes is a full-court press to punish you for rejecting the May 19th tax increases.

The "early release" bill AB 14 xxx, dumped on the legislators without committee hearings or time to review, squeaked by in the Senate by a 21-19 margin on Thursday, August 20th. However, by midnight, the Majority Party in the Assembly did not have the votes among its own members, indicating how bad AB 14 xxx was. The Democrat Majority has 51 members and must only persuade 41 to vote "yes." We expect SB 18xxx, an amended version will be presented today (Monday) or later this week. If AB 14xxx was Frankenstein, then SB 18xxx is his Bride. There is no way to fix this truly bad and harmful legislation we need honest and comprehensive reform not "punish the taxpayer" legislation..

The threat of early release of 40,000 criminals is not fear-mongering by the "right" or talk show hosts - it is real. Don't believe the spin that we will be releasing "non-violent criminals." Many are repeat offenders and even more were arrested for violent crimes and plead down to lesser offenses. Also, a yet-to-be-formed unelected commission, will have the authority to reduce sentencing on: child molestation, rape, 10-20-Life penalties, One Strike sex crime penalties, gross vehicular manslaughter, child abuse resulting in death, stalking, child pornography, attempted murder, hate crimes, and human trafficking just to name just a few of the offenses that have the least heinous descriptions. At a time when our cities and counties have been slashing expenses in public safety and other areas, trying to cope with the state's cash grab from their coffers, should they now have the state's former inmates dumped on their doorstep?

There are no victim's rights, public safety or law enforcement groups supporting this type of legislation. The Los Angeles Police Protective League estimates that the early release plan will result in 182,000 crimes, including 35,000 violent felonies over the next three years. The Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 70 percent of inmates were rearrested within 3 years of release. One in five committed a violent crime after being released. California law enforcement officials have relied upon the January 2009 RAND Corporation study to conclude that the average prisoner on early release will likely commit 13 new crimes before being re-arrested.

In the wake of the brutal and senseless murder of 17-year old Lilly Burke, in Los Angeles, committed by a "non-violent" parolee, and the recent Chino riots, you would think there should be a better way to save money in the Corrections Budget, and there is. Making reductions in prison administration and reducing the rising cost of prison health care would be a great place to start. Many more common sense ideas have been presented to reduce over-crowding and save tax dollars. It is time for the political parties to work together to re-draft legislation that provides for your public safety. Recklessly releasing criminals in our neighborhoods, and cowardly shirking responsibility to a "Commission" should be off the table.

I need your help. Do not fall for this ploy to make you beg to have your taxes increased. Continue to call or e-mail the members of the Majority Democrat Party that run the Legislature, craft the legislation and control the votes, as well as the Governor who has veto power, and tell them to find a better way to save money in Corrections.

To view the bill see: www.legislature.ca.gov
To call or e-mail the Majority Party view: www.assembly.ca.gov/clerk/MEMBERINFORMAT...
Stay tuned to Cal Channel : www.calchannel.com
Thank you for your support and we will keep you posted.

This Issue

· Commit the Crime - Home in No Time - or Please Raise My Taxes?

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Posted: Daily Thought Pad