Let's Stop Expansion and Focus on Solutions

In the last two weeks we have seen lots of discussions and hard questions from the Assembly and Senate regarding the increase in the Corrections Budget. We have also seen a call to present a durable and sustainable plan that will reduce recidivism and increase safety.

CURB and it's member organizations already have part of the plan and a list of additional ways we can continue to reduce the prison population without building more.

Elder Parole (SB224) Fact Sheet

Program Credit Incentives for Incarcerated People (AB 512) Fact Sheet

Alternative Custody Program (SB 219) Fact Sheet

50 Ways to Reduce the Number of People in Prisons in California

Please help us get our message to the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees today! We need their support in passing these common sense reforms and pushing towards more.

Subject:

Your Letter:

Dear Sub 5,

In the last few weeks you have been seeing a series of proposals from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. And you have heard how the common sense parole and sentencing reform strategies you all supported are working! Almost 5,000 people have been released from prison because of the expansion of good time credit, elder parole, and medical parole.

We want to present you with a durable and sustainable solution that can continue to reduce the prison population, decrease recidivism, and support our communities safely.

•	Support SB 224 (Liu), a bill that would codify and expand access to the existing Elderly Parole Program by lowering the eligibility requirements for parole consideration to people who are 50 years or older and who have served at least 15 years of their current sentence.
•	Support AB 512 (Stone) the Program Credit Incentives for Incarcerated People bill that will expand the number of credits people can receive in sentence reductions—from 6 weeks per year, to 18 weeks per year off their time served—and will apply this change retroactively
•	Support SB 219 (Liu), the Alternative Custody Program that will create a timeline to ensure a timely process of ACP applications, giving the applicant an opportunity to appeal the decision. It will allow people with prior mental and medical conditions to be eligible for the program (in the past they have been excluded), and will encourage enrollment in medical coverage for participants.

Any increase in California’s incarceration capacity should be seen as a failure of policy. Therefore we urge the committee stop expansion and invest in the communities people are being released to:

•	Halt the approval of $495 million for contract prison beds in this year's budget. A recent LAO report, "The 2015-16 Budget: Governor's Criminal Justice Proposals", states that this should not be approved until there is a justified need.
•	Stop current funding going towards prison expansion projects in the form of $36 million for the operation of the in-fill bed projects at Mule Creek and Donovan State prison.
•	Invest $12.6 million into the communities people are being released to instead of the pilot reentry programs in this year's budget that will be run by law enforcement. The four potential sites include Kern, Los Angeles and San Joaquin counties.

We can not afford millions of dollars going into the already bloated corrections budget and we know the only sustainable solution to prison overcrowding is to stop locking-up so many people.

Sincerely,

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Add me to the following list(s):

I have a loved one inside a California Prison

Organization - Sign on to 3 Population Reduction Bills

Quick Response Team (Budget-Leg 2015)