FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, 10 February 2014
CONTACT:
Brett Abrams : 516-841-1105 : brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com
California Group Hails Court Ruling as a Victory for Opponents of Gov. Brown’s Original Prison Plan
Statement by Dr. Paul Song, executive chairman of the California-based CourageCampaign.org, in reaction to news that federal judges granted California an additional two years to reduce the State’s overcrowded prison inmate population. The decision is a victory for those who fought to block Gov. Jerry Brown’s original plan to fund new private, for-profit prisons and out-of-state prison transfers to address overcrowding in California prisons:
“Last fall, CourageCampaign.org — along with other grassroots partners — provided crucial support for Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg as he led Senate Democrats opposition to Gov. Brown’s irresponsible plan to reduce overcrowding by building new prison facilities and shipping inmates across state lines to private, for-profit prison corporations. The compromise deal last fall led to today’s ruling. We applaud the decision by federal judges in California to extend the timeline for California to reduce its overcrowded prison inmate population.
The Governor must immediately move to implement durable solutions — including retroactive good time credits, elderly parole, and a sentencing commission — that are known to be both safe and effective. Gov. Brown has previously rejected such opportunities for sentencing and parole reforms — including his veto of SB 649 last fall. We remain deeply concerned regarding the human and financial cost of California’s unconstitutional prison system, but we are hopeful that with today’s court ruling, Governor Brown will begin to see the light.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/10/6144537/california-wins-two-year-extension.html#storylink=cpy
For more information, or interviews with CourageCampaign.org, please contact Brett Abrams at 516-841-1105 or by email at brett@fitzgibbonmedia.com.
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