UPDATE: The P-I adds more in a story to run Thursday on the policy of early release of felons. The article does not paint a pretty picture of the current state of affairs. Seems reasonable to expect prompt action from the Governor and the Legislature to address the matter...but will that happen?
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That's nice, the State didn't provide resources to keep dozens felons in jail where their behavior said they deserved to be. And news coverage indicates the problem will linger:
DOC officials say there is an overflow of convicted felons in nearly all of the 14 facilities the corrections agency contracts with across the state."We're reaching critical mass everywhere," Ramsdell-Gilkey said. "What we did Friday will only help us for a few days. We have got to learn how to deal with this violator population without using confinement as our only option."
But the Legislature seems willing to commit us to expensive obligations we can't keep, like providing subsidized healthcare to kids living in households above the median income in 37 of the state's 39 counties, the majority of which already have private coverage.
Needless to say, I think people will be watching to see where the Legislature puts its priorities the rest of this session based on recent news.
Posted by Eric Earling at February 28, 2007 06:54 PM | Email Thisso--any results? improvments? performance? don't get me wrong--i support law enforcement and crim. just. systems.
however, like any consumer, i like things that WORK. so--who is to blame? who dropped the ball over time? who ignored the yearly or occais. warnings? and all this time nobody suggested changes? nobody spoke up? hmmm....
like a flight control tower guy asleep at the screen. not many to blame.
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on February 28, 2007 09:45 PM
We could do the same thing here and for heat use the heaters like they use in the orchards and tell them if they mess them up that they won't get a replacement.
Posted by: Janet on February 28, 2007 11:59 PMCheck with Sheriff Joe.....
Out-of-State prison space sought for Washington inmates
Space is being sought in prisons outside Washington state for inmates still serving sentences to make room for felons accused of violating the terms of their release from custody, officials said.
The effort began Wednesday after Gov. Chris Gregoire ordered the Department of Corrections to stop freeing felons commonly known as parole violators to relieve overcrowding in prisons and jails.
"I will not accept (lace of) bed space as a reason for conditional release," Gregoire wrote in a worded letter to Corrections Secretary Harold W. Clarke. "The department will find space."
See Out-of-State
Posted by: Janet on March 1, 2007 08:09 AMYou are right! There are so many more imortant issues:
global warming
environment
save the animals (whales, seals, dogs, cats, homeless, and liberals, etc...)
Education
War in Iraq
etc...
no wonder nothing ever gets done.
Posted by: kettle on March 1, 2007 01:49 PM
I think what you really mean is "Raise my taxes". New prisons sure come cheap these days.
And who just went to jail?
In Whitman County today, there were two hearings. First guy, threatened to kill someone. Bail $2500.
Case #2 A child support case, where the Dad had his kids hidden and alienated from him. Still in the pokey, with bail of $34,000.00
Yup, thrity-four frickin' thousand dollars.
Boy, do I feel safer with those criminals on the street than this guy.
The Geez
Posted by: The Geezer on March 1, 2007 08:40 PMWe do not have to raise more taxes to build more prisons. All we have to do is cut out all the liberal social programs to the illegals (who shouldn't be getting them anyway) and we would have plenty of money to build more prisons. Not to mention there is a budget surplus that could go a long way to building at least one new prison.
Posted by: TrueSoldier on March 2, 2007 08:19 AM