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Monday, August 26, 2013

The Controversy Over California's Prison Overcrowding

California's prison overcrowding problem has led Governor Jerry Brown to apply sweeping measures to sentencing reform. Due to overcrowding in the state's prison population, drastic measures have been taken to alleviate the problem. Many critics say it is only a temporary fix to a long going problem. California is doing things differently than the rest of the nation.

Nationally, the debate is becoming less a debate and more an understanding from both sides of the aisle that the status quo is not working. The change that needs to be implemented is not in prison reform, rather in sentencing reform.

Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledged that the forty year war on drugs is what has led to the overpopulation to begin with. A huge admission for someone who holds a national office under the President of the United States. He believes that prison should be reserved for violent drug offenders, dealers, and traffickers.

In California, where nearly 10 percent of state prisoners are nonviolent drug offenders, advocates hope to see the state adopt a similar stance. It is said that Governor Brown and the state's Democratic lawmakers have shied away from embracing any policy that would give opponents an opportunity to portray California as soft on crime. While people play political games and jockey for reelection, families are being destroyed over a failed policy that has proven to do more harm than good.

If you have been charged with a crime, Contact San Jose Criminal Defense Attorney William Chestnut at 408-298-6990.

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