Early prison releases blamed for crime spike in California

[zenkai]

[Video]

Snippets from the video:

Massive release of prisoners is being blamed for a major spike in crime in California.

California is trying their hand at prison reform. They made some felonies misdemeanors
Prop57 mandated early release of non violent criminals, some California counties have seen an increase in violent crimes by up to 50%

"Enough is enough you are passing these proposition and laws that is increasing crime"
One CA Police Chief blamed reform AB109 on the death of one of his officers because the killer violated his parole 4 times, in the past he would have been put back in prison but instead he only spent 10 days in jail.

Experts say Reform works when there is drug treatment and job placement but just letting them out of jail doesn't.

One suspect was arrest 13 times for theft but thanks to the reform bill he only received tickets.


What's your thoughts? To me it also sounds like if you lower the standards on what constitutes a crime you in a way lower your crime statistics. Extreme example would be making murder legal, then you could say, "oh look! Violent crime went down!"

More information

More than a dozen states are considering prison reform measures to drastically reduce their inmate populations to save money. But law enforcement in California are blaming their reforms for a recent uptick in crime.

"The most recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice show violent crime rates in some California cities has increased by over 50 percent," said Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys. "If you look at the national data, our violent crime rates are going up faster than the rest of the nation. So why?"

Prosecutors and police have an explanation -- a series of prison reform measures, which reduce the state prison population by 20,000 inmates by releasing non-violent offenders early and making some felonies misdemeanors. One law, Assembly Bill 109, transferred 60,000 felony parole violators a year from state prison to county control. The measure saved California $100 million but some argue it was not without casualties.

"You're passing these propositions, you're creating these laws that are raising crime,” complained Whittier Police Chief Jeff Piper following the fatal shooting of a member of his force. "It's not good for our community and it's not good for our officers."

Piper believes AB 109 contributed to the February 20 death of Whittier police officer Keith Boyer. The shooting suspect is convicted felon Michael Mejia, who court records show cycled in and out of prison several times between 2010 and 2016 for various charges including robbery and grand theft auto. After his release from Pelican Bay State Prison in April 2016, he violated parole four times.

Under the old law, he would have returned to prison but under AB 109, he received a ten-day "flash incarceration" in county jail. Just days later, he allegedly killed Boyer and his own cousin and injured another officer.

"Ten days in jail, which for a hardened criminal is a slap on the wrist, has no effect,” said Hanisee.

Voters also passed Proposition 47 in 2014, which converted many nonviolent offenses, such as drug and property crimes, from felonies to misdemeanors. It affected future convictions and reduced California’s existing prison population by 13,000, which saves the state $150 million a year, according to a Stanford University study.

However, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors blamed Prop. 47, along with AB 109, for creating “additional and considerable” threats to law enforcement. The board cited the death of four police officers in the last year. In two cases in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, the suspects had parole violations that would have put them back in state prison before the measures. Instead, they, too, received flash incarcerations.

"If it's not AB 109, if it's not Prop. 47, why are the violent crime rates going up?" said Hanisee. "You have to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich to think that maybe releasing thousands of felons to local probation doesn't have something to do with it."

"California is certainly having a significant problem with the increase of crime in our state,” said California Assemblyman Matt Harper, R- Huntington Beach, who opposed AB 109. "The only thing that's really showing a difference in terms of how we approach crime and criminals is this change in our law allowing people to be able to go out on the streets, which previously they would have stayed in prison and not be committing crimes. To play these nonviolent offender games [is] a recipe for disaster."

But others disagree with linking a reduction in inmate numbers to spikes in crime rates.

"The link between incarceration [and] crime is not nearly as strong as many people believe it is," says Sentencing Project Executive Director Marc Mauer. "New York and New Jersey have reduced their prison populations by 25 percent in the last decade and they've seen crime rates decline."

Mauer and other prison reform advocates says states can effectively reduce incarceration numbers if they invest in post-release programs.

"What California needs to do is invest the savings gaining from reducing the state prison population,” Mauer said. “That involves probation officers helping people transition. That involves substance abuse and treatment. Some involves job placement -- all the things we know that can help to reduce subsequent crime by these people.”

Charis Kubrin, a professor of criminology at the University of California-Irvine, claims AB 109 "had zero impact" on violent crime across the state, according to first scientific analysis of AB 109 last year. After accounting for factors like unemployment, the UC-Irvine study found the assembly bill did contribute to a rise in property crimes, with the most dramatic increase in auto thefts. The study found no evidence it increased the number of assaults, rapes and murders.

The Public Policy Institute of California found similar results, even though some places, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities throughout Southern California, saw double digit percent increases in violent crimes in 2016, according to its analysis of FBI data.

[Kujako]

So... crime went up, before the early release program passed on the ballot, much less started, but there's a correlation, because reasons?

[Ghostpanther]

[Video]

Snippets from the video:

Massive release of prisoners is being blamed for a major spike in crime in California.

California is trying their hand at prison reform. They made some felonies misdemeanors
Prop57 mandated early release of non violent criminals, some California counties have seen an increase in violent crimes by up to 50%

"Enough is enough you are passing these proposition and laws that is increasing crime"
One CA Police Chief blamed reform AB109 on the death of one of his officers because the killer violated his parole 4 times, in the past he would have been put back in prison but instead he only spent 10 days in jail.

Experts say Reform works when there is drug treatment and job placement but just letting them out of jail doesn't.

One suspect was arrest 13 times for theft but thanks to the reform bill he only received tickets.


What's your thoughts? To me it also sounds like if you lower the standards on what constitutes a crime you in a way lower your crime statistics. Extreme example would be making murder legal, then you could say, "oh look! Violent crime went down!"

I agree. If anything, the punishment for some crimes should be more severe. A lack of enforcement of the laws and the lack of enough punishment of disobeying a law, can lead to even more disrespect for it. Make prisons even more of a shitty place than they are now.

[Aggrophobic]

So... crime went up, before the early release program passed on the ballot, much less started, but there's a correlation, because reasons?

Don't even try. Logic does not work.

[XDurionX]

I agree. If anything, the punishment for some crimes should be more severe. A lack of enforcement of the laws and the lack of enough punishment of disobeying a law, can lead to even more disrespect for it. Make prisons even more of a shitty place than they are now.

Yeah, this will totally reduce overall crime.

The title of world champion of per capita incarcerations has to be maintained somehow, right?

[zenkai]

So... crime went up, before the early release program passed on the ballot, much less started, but there's a correlation, because reasons?

Don't understand how you arrived at that conclusion, stuff has been passing the last 3 years to lower the prison population

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/04/17...-in-crime.html
@Aggrophobic logic works, too bad the guy you replied too, didn't use it.

[Aggrophobic]

Don't understand how you arrived at that conclusion, stuff has been passing the last 3 years to lower the prison population

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/04/17...-in-crime.html
@Aggrophobic logic works, too bad the guy you replied too, didn't use it.

You linking anything from Fox is enough to see that it does not.

[zenkai]

You linking anything from Fox is enough to see that it does not.

Disprove it, if all you day say is hurr durr fauxnews then you're not even worth replying to, but I know, it's the only argument you can make.

[Ghostpanther]

Yeah, this will totally reduce overall crime.

The title of world champion of per capita incarcerations has to be maintained somehow, right?

It would. The campaign against drug dealers and the 3 strikes and you are out, did help to lower the crime rate and drug crimes during the Clinton and Bush terms. I say bring those back with a vengeance.

[Cruor]

We need less people in prison and more death penalty. If we shot people for theft, vandalism and non aggravated assault (like the knock out game) we would remove a lot of scum from the steers and have less people in prison. Win win.

[Gamer8585]

Sounds like they just let them out with no plan or followup or anything. The US prison system is a giant steaming pile of shit, but mass release without a plan to actually address the factors that lead to the incarceration in the first place will only see those actions repeated.

If a man goes to jail because he stole bread to feed his starving family then when he's released he's still going to need to feed his family.
If a person goes to jail because they're violent and have poor impulse control just releasing them isn't going to stop them from being violent (prison time may have even exacerbated their condition).

Release can work for certain crimes that are just overall bullshit. If a person's only crime was possession of weed then its unlikely they're going to be a danger to society. If prisoners are genuinely recognizant, and want to contribute to society it would be better to let them out than spend the tax dollars warehousing them.

Prisons would be better if they focused far more on rehabilitation and left long term incarceration for only the most dangerous and irredeemable.

[Kujako]

I'll just leave this hear and go get some coffee...

[Aggrophobic]

Disprove it, if all you day say is hurr durr fauxnews then you're not even worth replying to, but I know, it's the only argument you can make.

No but I have no intrest in reading that crap.

[Ghostpanther]

I'll just leave this hear and go get some coffee...

yep, the large decrease of Property crime was after Reagan became President. Having a good economy can do that. And the large drop off of violent crime was after the wars on drug dealers and the 3 strikes you are out, during the Clinton/Bush terms. Also I do notice a slight upswing in the two those show for the last couple years.

[Demon of Truth]

Hey all! I just made an account to post some links to several videos that describe these issues and list solutions, but the website wont let me post direct links as of yet (says to make a few posts first) so I will just leave the titles here, you can find the videos on YouTube: In a Nutshell Addiction, vlogbrothers Mass Incarceration in the US, In a Nutshell Addiction Why The War on Drugs Is a Huge Failure.

I am a Political Scientist and I approve all videos as factual and correct on all issues. Have fun!

PS: to the gentleman who linked to Fox News as a source. Fox News is not a credible source of information. It's simply not. They deny the fact of Evolution (supported by all sciences, refuted by none), they deny the fact of climate change (supported by all sciences, refuted by none), they routinely deny all Scientific data and peer reviewed evidence(as previously stated), their whitewashing of history is repulsive(their version of civil war history is disgustingly incorrect), their economic theories are comical, so on and so forth. They are universally reviled and ridiculed throughout the entire academic community as a right wing propaganda spewer.

[petej0]

PS: to the gentleman who linked to Fox News as a source. Fox News is not a credible source of information. It's simply not. They deny the fact of Evolution (supported by all sciences, refuted by none), they deny the fact of climate change (supported by all sciences, refuted by none), they routinely deny all Scientific data and peer reviewed evidence(as previously stated), their whitewashing of history is repulsive(their version of civil war history is disgustingly incorrect), their economic theories are comical, so on and so forth. They are universally reviled and ridiculed throughout the entire academic community as a right wing propaganda spewer.

Are you talking about News Programs on the Fox News Channel or Commentary Programs on the Fox News Channel?

[Demon of Truth]

Are you talking about News Programs on the Fox News Channel or Commentary Programs on the Fox News Channel?

Yes and I apologize if I was unclear. Anything and everything related to Fox News is unreliable as a credible source of information and should be automatically discarded as worthless.

I will go even farther to say that anyone and everyone who denies climate chance, evolution, gravity, germ theory, that the earth is round, that vaccines work, etc have automatically discarded themselves as being a credible source of information. They aren't even worth having a conversation with or listening to. Those two issues are endorsed by all known science and refuted by none. Anyone who denies them is literally denying all science.

I am a Political Scientist and I approve this message.

[Santti]

Good to hear they are at least trying to reform. God knows US needs some of that for their prisons.

Start by removing solitary confinement cells, or at least make them more humane by at least adding a freaking window in them. You don't punish a violent individual (or any individual) by putting him inside a very small box with nothing in it for 23 hours a day for months, even years. It apparently doesn't take many days before many start hallucinating in such conditions, not to mention other mental health problems.

[alexkeren]

I'll just leave this hear and go get some coffee...

A) No context
B) 2014 shows a marked uptick
C) Stats can be made to mean anything

[Kujako]

A) No context
B) 2015 shows a marked uptick
C) Stats can be made to mean anything

If only there was some way, to have included a link to the context and details. Oh wait! I did...