Private Prisons Don't Offer "Improved Experience" for Inmates, Staff:

The National Council on Crime and Deliquency claimes that private prisons are no better than publicly owned and operated facilities for both inmates and staff -- and can be worse:

Do private prisons save money? NCCD said research has produced varied, and that "the verdict is, at best, a draw." Arizona requires the regular and intensive assessment of private prison performance. The state's most recent study found that private prisons resulted in higher costs to the state compared to public facilities. Other studies have found that privatizing facilities resulted in minimal or no savings. Some studies, including those by groups affiliated with prison companies or their proponents, found that privatization can yield modest savings.

More at The Crime Report.

CJLF petitions to remove death-penalty-repeal from ballot

A new legal challenge has been presented to the California ballot initiative concerning the death penalty. The Criminal Justice Legal Foundation has asked a state appeals court to take the "SAFE California" initiative off the November ballot:

The lawsuit argues that the measure contains conflicting proposals that combine unrelated reforms into a single ballot argument. "This kind of manipulation ... is exactly what the single-subject rule was put in the constitution to prevent," said Kent Scheidegger, the foundation's legal director.
Supporters of the ballot measure predicted the appeals court would reject the legal arguments.

More at San Jose Mercury News

Are any punishments effective in deterring homicide?

A new report, Deterrence and the Death Penalty, from the Committee on Deterrence and the Death Penalty of the National Research Council, concludes that research to date on the effect of capital punishment on homicide rates is not useful in determining whether the death penalty increases, decreases, or has no effect on these rates.

More at: The Crime Report

Long-term juvenile incarceration does not decrease reoffending

A March 2011 study, through the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, (OJJDP) concludes that long-term juvenile incarceration does not decrease reoffending, and may actually increase recidivism rates for lower-level youth offenders.

Long-term incarceration does not reduce the likelihood that serious youth offenders will reoffend. The evidence points to the contrary; that for lower-level offenders, longer stays in institutions will increase reoffending rates.

Community-based interventions and services like substance-abuse programs are much more effective at improving long-term outcomes for youthful offenders. Sustained aftercare and supervision is also a critical ingredient in determining positive long-term outcomes.  more at: California Progress Report:

05/13-19 Orange County POMC Fundraiser

Greater Orange County Parents of Murdered Children
May 13th- May 19th, 7AM-9PM
 Fundraiser at:
RUBY'S DINER
1128 W. Lincoln Ave.
Anaheim, Ca. 92805
(714) 635-RUBY (7829) (Corner of Lincoln & West)

Come dine at Ruby's and 20% of all food and non-alcoholic beverage sales (when accompanied with this flyer) will be donated to the Greater Orange County POMC

COME LEND YOUR SUPPORT

Realignment costs a concern in Kern County

An opinion piece points out the many ways that realignment may push Kern County costs way up:

Our jail will need to prove compliance with, or begin the compliance procedure with, jail standards under the National Commission of Correctional Health Care or similar accrediting body like the American Correctional Association. The sheriff will need to bear the outside costs of these accrediting agency services and activities. Once accredited, he will need to prove sustained compliance with accrediting standards, which again will require -- and underscore the importance and necessity of -- an ongoing medical quality management and improvement program.

More, with a great deal more detail, at Bakersfield.com.

CDCR ask judge to end medical oversight in a month

California prison officials have asked a federal judge to end court oversight of medical services in one month.

In a 43-page plan to end federal oversight, Corrections attorneys argued that healthcare is “wholly transformed,” that inmates get good care, from good doctors, in good clinics and that California’s got the “will, capacity, and leadership” to keep it up. They’ve asked U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson to relinquish control in 30 days.

The opponents of this move say that there has been improvement, but recievership should still continue for the next year. More at KPCC.