Prison Overcrowding

%3Cp%3EFrom%20New%20York%20Times%20--%20In%20February%2C%202009%2C%20it%20was%20decided%20by%20a%20federal%20court%20in%20San%20Francisco%20that%20the%20California%20prison%20system%20will%20reduce%20the%20number%20of%20its%20prisoners%20by%20one-third.%20%20This%20decision%20will%20bring%20the%20state%27s%20prisoner%20level%20down%20to%20approximately%20101%2C000%20inmates%2C%20improving%20the%20health%20care%20in%20California%20prisons.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BFederal%20judges%20tentatively%20ruled%20Monday%20that%20packed%20facilities%20were%20the%20chief%20impediment%20to%20adequate%20%20health%20care%20in%20prisons%20%26mdash%3B%20a%20system%20so%20flawed%20it%20was%20tantamount%20to%20a%20violation%20of%20the%20Eighth%20%20Amendment.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20New%20York%20Times%20--%20Critics%20are%20drawing%20attention%20to%20the%20recent%20case%20in%20San%20Francisco%20that%20gave%20Ali%20Foroutan%20a%20life%20sentence%20for%20his%20possession%20of%200.03%20gram%20of%20methamphetamine.%20%20Foroutan%20is%20a%20result%20of%20the%20%26ldquo%3Bthree-strikes%20law%2C%26rdquo%3B%20which%20mandates%2025%20years%20to%20life%20in%20prison%20for%20three-time%20felons%2C%20%20and%20is%20blamed%20for%20overcrowding%20of%20California%27s%20prisons.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26nbsp%3BCalifornia%26rsquo%3Bs%2013-year-old%20three-strikes%20law%2C%20which%20doubles%20sentences%20for%20second-time%20felons%2C%20and%20reserves%20life%20sentences%20for%20even%20nonviolent%20third-felony%20offenders%20like%20Mr.%20Foroutan%2C%20has%20also%20increased%20the%20prison%20population%20by%20thousands.%26nbsp%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20New%20York%20Times%20--%20In%202007%2C%20California%20lawmakers%20agreed%20to%20send%208%2C000%20convicts%20to%20other%20states%20in%20an%20effort%20to%20reduce%20the%20amount%20of%20overcrowding%2C%20which%20Gov.%20Arnold%20Schwarzenegger%20referred%20to%20as%20a%20state%20of%20emergency.%20%20The%20budget%20was%20%248.3%20billion%2C%20with%20plans%20to%20add%2053%2C000%20beds%20because%2C%20at%20the%20time%2C%20%2016%2C000%20inmates%20were%20assigned%20cots%20in%20hallways%20and%20gyms.%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BCalifornia%20prisons%20are%20so%20overcrowded%20%26mdash%3B%2016%2C000%20inmates%20are%20assigned%20cots%20in%20hallways%20and%20gyms%20%26mdash%3B%20that%20the%20governor%20recently%20took%20the%20highly%20unusual%20step%20of%20declaring%20a%20state%20of%20emergency%20in%20the%20system.%20The%20state%26rsquo%3Bs%20prisons%20house%20173%2C000%20inmates%20%26mdash%3B%20far%20ahead%20of%20Texas%2C%20which%20has%20the%20next%20largest%20state%20prison%20system%20with%20152%2C500%20inmates%20%26mdash%3B%20and%20has%20an%20%248%20billion%20budget.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20New%20York%20Times%20--%20In%201989%2C%20%20Tent%20City%20161%20was%20set%20up%20beneath%20the%20New%20Jersey%20Turnpike.%20by%20the%20Department%20of%20Corrections.%20to%20house%20detainees%20after%20an%20overcrowding%20of%20the%20local%20prison.%20%20Military-style%20tents%20were%20used%20to%20house%20minimum-security%20inmates%20for%2030%20days.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BTent%20City%20161%2C%20hidden%20in%20a%20swampy%20area%20of%20the%20Hackensack%20Meadowlands%20beneath%20the%20New%20Jersey%20Turnpike%2C%20resembles%20a%20camp%2C%20not%20a%20prison.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%3Cp%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3B%27%27I%20keep%20telling%20everybody%20this%20place%20reminds%20me%20of%20summer%20camp%2C%27%27%20said%20Edward%20Roche%2C%20a%2024-year-old%20inmate%20from%20Jersey%20City%2C%20who%20did%20not%20say%20what%20type%20of%20crime%20he%20had%20committed.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20New%20York%20Times%20--%20In%202007%2C%20chronic%20prison%20overcrowding%20led%20corrections%20officials%20in%20Hawaii%20and%20at%20least%20seven%20other%20states%20to%20reach%20across%20state%20lines%20for%20extra%20prison%20beds.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BChronic%20prison%20overcrowding%20has%20corrections%20officials%20in%20Hawaii%20and%20at%20least%20seven%20other%20states%20looking%20increasingly%20across%20state%20lines%20for%20scarce%20prison%20beds%2C%20usually%20in%20prisons%20run%20by%20private%20companies.%20Facing%20a%20court%20mandate%2C%20California%20last%20week%20transferred%2040%20inmates%20to%20Mississippi%20and%20has%20plans%20for%20at%20least%208%2C000%20to%20be%20sent%20out%20of%20state.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrp%2C%20CBC%20News%20--The%20arrest%20of%20120%20Hells%20Angels%20members%20in%20Quebec%20led%20to%20an%20overcrowding%20of%20Montreal-area%20jails%2C%20where%20inmates%20reported%20a%20lack%20of%20beds.%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%20Prisons%20in%20Quebec%20have%20been%20overcrowded%20for%20some%20time%2C%20and%20local%20government%20officials%20are%20currently%20work%20to%20find%20a%20solution%20to%20the%20problem.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26ldquo%3B%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3BQuebec%20prisons%20have%20been%20overcrowded%20for%20some%20time%2C%20and%20the%20province%27s%20government%20is%20aware%20of%20the%20problem%2C%20said%20Suzanne%20Gravel%2C%20who%20coordinates%20the%20Groupe%20de%20D%26eacute%3Bfense%20des%20droits%20des%20d%26eacute%3Btenus%20de%20Qu%26eacute%3Bbec%2C%20a%20prisoners%27%20rights%20group.%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%26rdquo%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%3Cp%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFrom%20Associated%20Press%20--In%26nbsp%3B%202008%2C%26nbsp%3B%20civil%20rights%20lawyers%20filed%20a%20lawsuit%20in%20protest%20of%20overcrowding%20in%20Philadelphia%27s%20jails%2C%20jeopardizing%20the%20health%20care%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%20of%20the%20record%209%2C300%20people%20now%20in%20city%20custody%2C%20the%20lawsuit%20alleges.%26nbsp%3B%20In%20the%20meantime%2C%20Mayor%20Michael%20Nutter%20made%20a%20move%20to%20find%20alternatives%20to%20prison%20for%20some%20nonviolent%20offenders%2C%20hoping%20also%20to%20start%20a%20program%20that%20gives%20tax%20breaks%20to%20firms%20that%20hire%20ex-offenders.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3BNew%20Mayor%20Michael%20Nutter%20wants%20to%20explore%20alternatives%20to%20prison%20for%20some%20nonviolent%20offenders%20and%20hopes%20to%20reduce%20recidivism%20through%20a%20program%20that%20offers%20tax%20breaks%20to%20firms%20that%20hire%20ex-offenders.%20Nutter%2C%20who%20took%20office%20in%20January%2C%20also%20has%20asked%20his%20prison%20commissioner%20to%20outline%20other%20ways%20to%20reduce%20the%20prison%20population%2C%20a%20spokesman%20said.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EThis%201982%20piece%20in%20The%20Atlantic%20is%20written%20by%20sociologist%20James%20Q.%20Wilson%2C%20whose%20theories%20on%20prison%20sentencing%20play%20a%20key%20role%20in%20today%27s%20prison%20overcrowding%20crisis.%20Wilson%20developed%20the%20%22broken%20windows%22%20theory%20which%20postulated%20that%20smaller%20crimes%20should%20be%20punished%20in%20order%20to%20dissuade%20the%20larger%20crimes.%20But%20even%20he%20agreed%20that%20some%20sentences%20for%20drug%20chargers%20are%20too%20long%2C%20although%20he%20did%20deny%20to%20view%20prison%20overcrowding%20as%20a%20problem.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AWilson%20also%20played%20a%20large%20role%20in%20Mayor%20Giuliani%27s%20%22Zero%20Tolerance%22%26nbsp%3Binitiative%2C%20and%20his%20theory%20proved%20to%20be%20successful%20in%20several%20states%20throughout%20the%20U.S.%20But%20critics%20argue%20that%20the%20%22Broken%20Windows%22%20theory%20is%20inconsistent%20and%20had%20little%20to%20do%20with%20the%20drop%20of%20crime.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3ECrime%20and%20punishment%2C%20it%27s%20all%20relative.%20A%20brush%20with%20the%20law%20is%20nothing%20more%20for%20most%20of%20us%20than%20a%20speeding%20fine%20or%20curt%20telling%20off%2C%20but%20we%27re%20a%20very%20privileged%20bunch...%26nbsp%3BWords%20%26amp%3B%20photos%3ACarly%20Lorente%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3ENationally-recognized%20artists%20grazed%20San%20Francisco%20State%20University%27s%20campus%20in%202008%20with%20an%20exhibition%20focusing%20solely%20on%20issues%20surrounding%20the%20prison%20industrial%20complex.%20Hopefully%2C%20this%20article%20on%20the%20event%20will%20inspire%20more%20artists%20to%20follow%20in%20their%20footsteps%2C%20as%20America%27s%20prison%20system%20and%20its%20flaws%20are%20too%20often%20omitted%20from%20mainstream%20discourse.%20As%20Michel%20Foucault%20wrote%20in%20Discipline%20and%20Punish%2C%20we%20the%20modern%20penal%20system%20unfortunately%20operates%20as%20%22a%20strange%20secret%20between%20the%20law%20and%20those%20it%20condemns%22%20%2815%29.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%3Cblockquote%3E%26%23147%3B%26nbsp%3B%22This%20is%20becoming%20a%20bigger%20and%20bigger%20issue%20in%20California%2C%20with%20a%20focus%20%20%20%20%20on%20incarceration%20instead%20of%20rehabilitation%2C%22%20said%20Mark%20Johnson%2C%20Fine%20%20%20%20%20Arts%20Gallery%20director.%20The%20%22Criminal%22%20exhibit%20addresses%20both%20sides%20%20%20%20%20of%20criminal%20justice%20through%20painting%2C%20photography%2C%20sculpture%2C%20sound%2C%20video%20%20%20%20%20and%20miscellaneous%20materials.%26nbsp%3B%26%23148%3B%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A