Realignment “ripe for political opportunism”
Nielsen warnings on Realignment* from CA Assembly GOP on Vimeo.
The above video, produced by the Assembly Republican Caucus, gives a little glimpse into how prison realignment will play out in state politics in the years to come.
An article in the Sacramento Bee today called realignment “ripe for political opportunism in a state that embraces tough-on-crime measures.” And, the Bee points out, it’s not just Republicans who are playing public safety politics:
Nine big-city mayors, including Sacramento’s Kevin Johnson, are using Brown’s plan as an opportunity to ask for more funding. In a letter sent days after realignment began, they warned of a “brewing public safety crisis.” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa grabbed attention when he said his city must take 150 police officers off the streets to help supervise newly released state prisoners.
Realistically, however, though the governor and state politicians initiated the realignment plan, local officials–who’re deciding what happens to the realigned population–will more likely face the political fallout from the change.
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ACLU: Counties opting for incarceration, not rehabilitation
The ACLU of California released a report today, “California at a Crossroads,” detailing 53 California counties’ realignment plans. Prison realignment began in October of 2011 as a way to quickly reduce California’s prison population–and get the state into compliance with … Read More
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