Donnelly: Use Private Prisons to Ease Inmate Overcrowding

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represents Arcadia in the 59th District, has written an open letter to California Gov. Jerry Brown regarding his plan to reduce prison populations in the state.

Brown's plan to shift many nonviolent offenders from state detention facilities to county ones comes in the wake of a .

In the letter, Donnelly takes particular issue with Brown having "allowed AB 900 to sunset, meaning 10,000 additional inmates will soon be returned to California's prison system from private, out-of-state facilities."

Donnelly previously introduced a bill, AB 175, that sought to send more inmates in private prisons outside the state. While that measure failed in committee, Donnelly tells Brown in the letter, "you could preserve this critical safety valve."

After touching on his views of the Federal government's responsibility to provide more funding for the imprisonment of illegal aliens, Donnelly again returns to the private prison proposal, arguing that the Governor needs to "negotiate new contracts" and "fill every bed."

Donnelly then closes with a strongly-worded challenge to the Governor to respond to these proposals, saying to Brown "I am willing to debate these issues in any public forum of your choosing."

What follows is the full text of Donnelly's letter to Governor Brown. A PDF copy of the letter is also attached to this article.

Honorable Jerry Brown
Governor of California
State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814

June 7, 2011

Dear Governor Brown,

Last month I sent you a letter regarding your May Revise Budget plan. Now, I am compelled to write you to address a threat to the public safety and urge you to protect all Californians from the release of dangerous criminals onto the streets.

As you know, the United States Supreme Court has ordered California to reduce its prison population by 33,000 criminals in the next 2 years.

Your realignment plan would send thousands of State prisoners to the county jail without funding. This plan threatens public safety by placing an undue burden on the counties and forcing them to release inmates before their full sentences are served. At the same time as counties are told we cannot afford to fund this influx of prisoners your plan will send them, you have approved unlimited vacation build-up time and several other lucrative perks for the CCPOA. It is unfair and defies common sense to increase spending at a time when we are swimming in red ink.

To compound the problem, you have allowed AB 900 to sunset, meaning 10,000 additional inmates will soon be returned to California's prison system from private out-of-state facilities. We can send prisoners out of state for half the cost of what it takes to house them in California. There are other options, Governor.

A few months ago I introduced AB 175, which would have preserved California's ability to house inmates out of state to reduce overcrowding. The measure failed in the Public Safety Committee, but you could preserve this critical safety valve.

Secondly, I and several of my colleagues have called on President Obama to take responsibility for the criminal aliens in our prisons. This population accounts for over $885 million of our annual prison budget. The federal government has historically only reimbursed us a measly 10 cents on the dollar, despite the fact that these inmates are entirely their responsibility. I invite you to join us and fight for full State Criminal Alien Assistance Program funding or for the federal government to take their inmates into custody.

Thirdly, there are numerous community based and private prisons, which are shutting down for lack of continued funding. Negotiate new contracts. Fill every bed. These proposals would result in lower costs and a more manageable prison system. Together we can both prove our prison system and maintain public safety.

To date, you have not responded to my last letter. I hope you receive this letter in the constructive spirit it is intended.  As I previously wrote, I am willing to debate these issues in any public forum of your choosing.

Godspeed,

Tim Donnelly
Assemblymember, 59th District