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SirTripAlot
Semper Fidelis



Registered: 01/11/05
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Massive Release of Convicts
#14500562 - 05/23/11 06:33 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/sc-dc-0524-court-prisons-web-20110523,0,2337401.story
Supreme Court orders California to release tens of thousands of prison inmates
The 5-4 decision represents one of the largest prison release orders in U.S. history. The court majority says overcrowding has caused 'suffering and death.' In a sharp dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia warns 'terrible things are sure to happen.' By David G. Savage, Washington Bureau May 23, 2011, 8:56 a.m.
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ordered California on Monday to release tens of thousands of its prisoners to relieve overcrowding, saying that "needless suffering and death" had resulted from putting too many inmates into facilities that cannot hold them in decent conditions.
It is one of the largest prison release orders in the nation's history, and it sharply split the high court.
Justices upheld an order from a three-judge panel in California that called for releasing 38,000 to 46,000 prisoners. Since then, the state has transferred about 9,000 state inmates to county jails. As a result, the total prison population is now about 32,000 more than the capacity limit set by the panel.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, speaking for the majority, said California's prisons had "fallen short of minimum constitutional requirements" because of overcrowding. As many as 200 prisoners may live in gymnasium, he said, and as many as 54 prisoners share a single toilet.
Kennedy insisted that the state had no choice but to release more prisoners. The justices, however, agreed that California officials should be given more time to make the needed reductions.
In dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia called the ruling "staggering" and "absurd."
He said the high court had repeatedly overruled the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for ordering the release of individual prisoners. Now, he said, the majority were ordering the release of "46,000 happy-go-lucky felons." He added that "terrible things are sure to happen as a consequence of this outrageous order." Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with him.
In a separate dissent, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the ruling conflicted with a federal law intended to limit the power of federal judges to order a release of prisoners.
State officials and lawyers for inmates differ over just how many prisoners will have to be released. In recent figures, the state said it had about 142,000 inmates behind bars, and the judges calculated the prison population would need to be reduced to about 110,000 to comply with constitutional standards.
Kennedy said the judges in California overseeing the prison-release order should "accord the state considerable latitude to find mechanisms and make plans" that are "consistent with the public safety."
The American Civil Liberties Union said the court had "done the right thing" by addressing the "egregious and extreme overcrowding in California's prisons."
David Fathi, director of the ACLU national prison project, said "reducing the number of people in prison not only would save the state taxpayers half a billion annually, it would lead to the implementation of truly rehabilitative programs that lower recidivism rates and create safer communities."
Meanwhile, the court took no action on another California case in which a conservative group is challenging the state's policy of granting in-state tuition at its colleges and universities to students who are illegal immigrants and have graduated from its high schools.
The justices said they would consider the appeal in a later private conference.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "The American Civil Liberties Union said the court had "done the right thing" by addressing the "egregious and extreme overcrowding in California's prisons."
What about those specific imates that violated other's peoples liberty? Why focus on one group and not the others?
-------------------- “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
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Phred
Fred's son


Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 12,949
Loc: Dominican Republic
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: SirTripAlot]
#14500609 - 05/23/11 06:44 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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The Supreme Court has become a bad joke. They have made so many outrageous decisions over the last decade it just boggles the mind. It's hard to say if this latest decision is their worst, but it's right up there in the top (or bottom, depending how you look at it) ten.
Unfreakingbelievable.
Phred
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p_walter
Lurker



Registered: 04/25/11
Posts: 535
Loc: Irrelevant
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: SirTripAlot]
#14500632 - 05/23/11 06:48 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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You would think they would have done something before it got to this point.
"Hey guys, we're 5,000 inmates over capacity."
"Oh, hey guys, we're now 10,000 inmates over capacity."
"Hi again. We're up to 20,000 inmates over capacity. Should we do anything about this....? No? Okay."
-------------------- Coaster said: so i got free drug coupons witch u floozies refer to as "money"....
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ChuangTzu
starvingphysicist



Registered: 09/04/02
Posts: 3,060
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: p_walter]
#14500734 - 05/23/11 07:07 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Yeah, instead they kept furthering the problem while being repeatedly told by federal courts to do something about it. They didn't. In fact, it's likely that they will ignore this ruling entirely.
I'm not sure if conditions are bad enough to be considered cruel or unusual, but it's possible that they are. If not, it's obviously not really the court's position to step in here. But I'm probably going to delve into the text of the decision tomorrow.
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ChuangTzu
starvingphysicist



Registered: 09/04/02
Posts: 3,060
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: Phred]
#14500741 - 05/23/11 07:09 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Phred said: The Supreme Court has become a bad joke. They have made so many outrageous decisions over the last decade it just boggles the mind. It's hard to say if this latest decision is their worst, but it's right up there in the top (or bottom, depending how you look at it) ten.
Possibly. It's interesting that they've also made some surprisingly pro-2nd amendment decisions in the last few years, all while basically throwing the 4th out the window...
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Therian
Stranger

Registered: 03/04/09
Posts: 684
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: ChuangTzu]
#14502113 - 05/23/11 11:47 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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There are currently tens of thousands of undocumented Mexican immigrants in U.S. correctional facilities. When these inmates are released and deported back to Mexico, they have an ever smaller chance at success than they did before, and the great majority simply attempts to cross the border again. It’s a cycle that strains an already overburdened correctional system at the expense of American taxpayers. http://www.cca.com/newsroom/news-releases/112/
How ironic, we have tens of thousands of illegal alien, mexican national violent felons in american prisons. If we deport these sons of mule loving whores back to their county of origin the problem is solved. Why is the american taxpayer on the hook for incarcerating foreign national felons? Let their countries pay for the cost of processing and locking up their own citizens, end of issue.
Oh wait, I forgot, they are only here seeking a better life for their families, they just want to become productive law abiding members of american society, therefore I'm sure that when they are incarcerated far beyond their racial proportion in a given geographical region it is just a fluke.
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2jew4u
Stranger
Registered: 04/07/11
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: Therian]
#14503641 - 05/24/11 10:21 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Hey supreme court- Make possession of small amouts(personal) drugs legal- That would cut down on a lot of prision population, Then you could let the executions roll- make Death row death row- and just shoot all the rapist and childmolesters. bam prision population cut down by over 65pct.
and remember California- bullets are less than a buck a peace. and if you reload it will be cheaper, and what better crime deturrant
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memes
Blessed



Registered: 01/11/05
Posts: 27,785
Loc: In a Tree
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: ChuangTzu] 1
#14503673 - 05/24/11 10:28 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
ChuangTzu said: I'm not sure if conditions are bad enough to be considered cruel or unusual, but it's possible that they are. If not, it's obviously not really the court's position to step in here. But I'm probably going to delve into the text of the decision tomorrow.
I really wish that (a) people were only thrown in jail for violent offenses, but that (b) the jails were of much lower quality than they currently are.
You want our jail to meet human rights standards? Why? Our prisoners didnt (because they're violent offenders). Talk about deterrance.
Like the terrible movie Escape from L.A. Would you want to go to jail if your jail was like this:
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ChuangTzu
starvingphysicist



Registered: 09/04/02
Posts: 3,060
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: Therian]
#14509319 - 05/25/11 11:15 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Therian said: How ironic, we have tens of thousands of illegal alien, mexican national violent felons in american prisons. If we deport these sons of mule loving whores back to their county of origin the problem is solved. Why is the american taxpayer on the hook for incarcerating foreign national felons? Let their countries pay for the cost of processing and locking up their own citizens, end of issue.
That would essentially be letting them off the hook.
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ChuangTzu
starvingphysicist



Registered: 09/04/02
Posts: 3,060
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: memes]
#14509345 - 05/25/11 11:21 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Like the terrible movie Escape from L.A. Would you want to go to jail if your jail was like this:

First of all, that's a great movie. Second of all, I would much rather be there than in a California state prison, or any prison.
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memes
Blessed



Registered: 01/11/05
Posts: 27,785
Loc: In a Tree
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: ChuangTzu]
#14509738 - 05/25/11 12:45 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Did you see that basketball game Snake had to play? Dont think you would be up to the par. 10 baskets in a row, 10 seconds for each basket, cross court?
no way you could do it!
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Annapurna1
liberal pussy


Registered: 05/21/02
Posts: 5,646
Loc: innsmouth..MA
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: Phred]
#14509836 - 05/25/11 01:08 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Phred said: The Supreme Court has become a bad joke. They have made so many outrageous decisions over the last decade it just boggles the mind. It's hard to say if this latest decision is their worst, but it's right up there in the top (or bottom, depending how you look at it) ten.
Unfreakingbelievable.
Phred
i would largely agree overall.. but this latest decision is the second good one they have made (the first was boumiediene/al-odah)...the worst by far was citizens united.. which effectively ended american democracy in the name of free speech...if that sounds orwellian.. its because a ruling like citizens united must necessarily be so...
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"anchor blocks counteract the process of pontiprobation..while omalean globes regulize the pressure"...
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole


Registered: 02/11/04
Posts: 81,741
Loc: Fractallife's gym
Last seen: 7 years, 11 months
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: Annapurna1]
#14509947 - 05/25/11 01:40 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Annapurna1 said:
Quote:
Phred said: The Supreme Court has become a bad joke. They have made so many outrageous decisions over the last decade it just boggles the mind. It's hard to say if this latest decision is their worst, but it's right up there in the top (or bottom, depending how you look at it) ten.
Unfreakingbelievable.
Phred
i would largely agree overall.. but this latest decision is the second good one they have made (the first was boumiediene/al-odah)...the worst by far was citizens united.. which effectively ended american democracy in the name of free speech...if that sounds orwellian.. its because a ruling like citizens united must necessarily be so...
When I can shut down the NY Times Corporation I'll consider your fascism acceptable.
California is the land of retards. I don't give two shits about it. They, like Greece, are an example of bums gone wild. New York is getting there. If the financial industry ever decides that the virtual world is an acceptable locus to conduct serious business then NY will be fucked, too.
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Annapurna1
liberal pussy


Registered: 05/21/02
Posts: 5,646
Loc: innsmouth..MA
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: zappaisgod]
#14510934 - 05/25/11 05:17 PM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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yeah..right...like there was no NYTIMES before this citizens united bullshit ...
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zappaisgod
horrid asshole


Registered: 02/11/04
Posts: 81,741
Loc: Fractallife's gym
Last seen: 7 years, 11 months
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Re: Massive Release of Convicts [Re: Annapurna1]
#14514629 - 05/26/11 11:04 AM (12 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
Annapurna1 said: yeah..right...like there was no NYTIMES before this citizens united bullshit ...
So what? They also existed before the idiotic law that Citizens United overturned. They were a corporation heavily involved in spending money to present their viewpoint on politics. Why should that corporation get special treatment? Or any news media corporation? Answer: They shouldn't. They are not special.
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