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"Justice Kennedy laments the state of prisons in California, U.S."

By Douglas A. Berman

The title of this post is the headline of this notable article in today's Los Angeles Times. Here is how the piece starts: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy criticized California sentencing policies and crowded prisons Wednesday night, calling the influence that unionized prison guards had in passing the three-strikes law "sick." In an otherwise courtly and humorous address to the Los Angeles legal community, Kennedy expressed obvious dismay over the state of corrections and rehabilitation in the country.  He said U.S. sentences are eight times longer than those issued by European courts. "California now has 185,000 people in prison at $32,500 a year" each, he said.  He then urged voters and officials to compare that expense to what taxpayers spend per pupil in elementary schools...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on February 04, 2010 (boomark / email).