I met someone who was working on the Homeless coalition for our city (Los Angeles) and she said that homelessness is a reflection of failure at many, many stress points, and one of the BIG ones is people being released from prison; they can't stay with anyone in Section 8 housing--i.e., if they want to go stay with their mom, their mom would lose her housing. So they are often forced to couch surf, and as my new friend explained, after that, it's sleeping in the car, and then they lose the car, and then they're homeless. This program sounds like it is seriously recognizing this and making a valiant attempt to address it, and I'm glad to hear it. We have an almost intractable homeless problem here, and it's so important for people to be addressing EVERY part of the social safety net failures leading to it.
Forget it Jake. It's California. "Conservatives" and the national "news" papers need to mind their f**n business. There are real issues that need fixing like, I dunno, how about keep our democracy safe from the fat orange pig.
I can see the blistering editorials in the WSJ and the FNYT already- "California says crime SHOULD pay!". They will be claiming that this program will incentivize "inner city" youths to commit crimes to get in on the gravy train, the same way TANF lures "inner city" teenagers to start popping out babies right, left and center to get in on that sweet gummint money. "Inner city" you must understand, is racist code for non-white, especially black, people. A couple of years in Soledad, and you'll be on easy street for life, they'll claim.
Here's a totally crazy pants idea: Maybe we could PAY incarcerated folks for their labor. If they have fines or restitution or child support, have a percentage go toward that, so they have that payment history. Allow them to access a certain amount of it for personal uae. The rest goes into an account that they can access when they get out.
Prisoners are paid for their work. How much depends on their job assignment and whether they are in a state or federal prison or a for profit prison. Of course the pay can be as low as .10 an hour but can be as much as 5.75 an hour. Paying them "proves" it is not slavery.
but but but- that would almost eradicate slavery in America! Half of this country is still nursing a grudge about the last time their slaves were freed, so they are not gonna like this one bit, nosireebob! Slavery is what this country was built on, from the "transported" criminals to the Parchman farm. Next thing you know, ICE will be repurposed to investigate and prosecute employers of undocumented immigrants who exploit, underpay or simply stiff their work force, and then where would we be?
It's shocking to me that some people*cough conservatives cough* freak out at the idea of any such program, or really any help for recently released folks. Years ago the woman who ran out receiving crew got her nephew a job on her crew, because he was recently released for minor drug offenses, no one would hire him, and he needed a job. She wound up hiring a couple more guys he had been in jail with who needed a job. Then a few more. She helped a lot of people stay out of jail by giving them a chance. Most moved on to other, better paying work because they were able to build up a work history.
Well, you have to remember there are two types of ex-cons. The white teen from a well off family in their freshman year at Southern Cal who gets a girl drunk and rapes her and a poor Black teen caught busting out a car window and stealing a pocketbook. Obviously the white kid just made a mistake, deserves only probation so he isn't kicked out of school and is redeemable while the Black kid is just going to get worse even though he has a job and is going to community college trying to get training as an electrician. He deserves five years in prison.
Halfway houses were supposed to help with things like this. My prison pen pal was too tight lipped to say exactly what the problems were but did say the halfway house actively interfered with job and housing searches. It's not the only time I've heard that.
Asked my brother about the halfway house where he cut his his hand while gutting chickens in a factory. "That's not a halfway house in Fordland, that's a prison."
Sometimes it's little more than boot camp, or prison without walls where the only time you are actually at liberty is going to and from work. Even then you had better not miss the bus or get stuck in traffic because being 15 minutes late to work or back home gets you in trouble. It seems like an overreaction to the people who actually abuse the system, so everyone suffers.
While I'm sure it goes deeper than that, my understanding is that the policies of "you have to be home from x time to y time" and "if the phone rings, which it can at any time, you need to pick up in three rings" keeps your wings clipped.
ETA: I'm happy to hear that she is housed and employed.
It will take about two seconds for Republicans to start screaming about handouts and "putting dangerous criminals in the workplace", if they haven't already. Fuck 'em.
Wait, so CA has the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and MN had the Comprehensive Offender Reentry Plan (CORP). What's what these acronyms?
I met someone who was working on the Homeless coalition for our city (Los Angeles) and she said that homelessness is a reflection of failure at many, many stress points, and one of the BIG ones is people being released from prison; they can't stay with anyone in Section 8 housing--i.e., if they want to go stay with their mom, their mom would lose her housing. So they are often forced to couch surf, and as my new friend explained, after that, it's sleeping in the car, and then they lose the car, and then they're homeless. This program sounds like it is seriously recognizing this and making a valiant attempt to address it, and I'm glad to hear it. We have an almost intractable homeless problem here, and it's so important for people to be addressing EVERY part of the social safety net failures leading to it.
All of the post-release conditions make it seem like that "paid their debt to society" stuff isn't genuine.
Right? And it's so unfair to them & their families.
This is good news for Donald when he gets out!
You mean it’s not enough to give them $20 and a new suit?
Forget it Jake. It's California. "Conservatives" and the national "news" papers need to mind their f**n business. There are real issues that need fixing like, I dunno, how about keep our democracy safe from the fat orange pig.
Hey, this may be crazy, but why not provide UBI and health care to everyone?
I know. Crazy talk.
I can see the blistering editorials in the WSJ and the FNYT already- "California says crime SHOULD pay!". They will be claiming that this program will incentivize "inner city" youths to commit crimes to get in on the gravy train, the same way TANF lures "inner city" teenagers to start popping out babies right, left and center to get in on that sweet gummint money. "Inner city" you must understand, is racist code for non-white, especially black, people. A couple of years in Soledad, and you'll be on easy street for life, they'll claim.
Recidivism? Meh. They won't catch us, we're on a mission from God.
treating people with a minimum level of dignity would be nice.
Here's a totally crazy pants idea: Maybe we could PAY incarcerated folks for their labor. If they have fines or restitution or child support, have a percentage go toward that, so they have that payment history. Allow them to access a certain amount of it for personal uae. The rest goes into an account that they can access when they get out.
I know. Crazy.
Prisoners are paid for their work. How much depends on their job assignment and whether they are in a state or federal prison or a for profit prison. Of course the pay can be as low as .10 an hour but can be as much as 5.75 an hour. Paying them "proves" it is not slavery.
but but but- that would almost eradicate slavery in America! Half of this country is still nursing a grudge about the last time their slaves were freed, so they are not gonna like this one bit, nosireebob! Slavery is what this country was built on, from the "transported" criminals to the Parchman farm. Next thing you know, ICE will be repurposed to investigate and prosecute employers of undocumented immigrants who exploit, underpay or simply stiff their work force, and then where would we be?
like, actually mean it with abolishing slavery? that's crazy talk.
Which would collapse the economics of prisons, which would be a good thing.
When you price something too low you use it badly. My pen pal during her sentence got ordered as part of her prison job to wash a road.
It's shocking to me that some people*cough conservatives cough* freak out at the idea of any such program, or really any help for recently released folks. Years ago the woman who ran out receiving crew got her nephew a job on her crew, because he was recently released for minor drug offenses, no one would hire him, and he needed a job. She wound up hiring a couple more guys he had been in jail with who needed a job. Then a few more. She helped a lot of people stay out of jail by giving them a chance. Most moved on to other, better paying work because they were able to build up a work history.
Well, you have to remember there are two types of ex-cons. The white teen from a well off family in their freshman year at Southern Cal who gets a girl drunk and rapes her and a poor Black teen caught busting out a car window and stealing a pocketbook. Obviously the white kid just made a mistake, deserves only probation so he isn't kicked out of school and is redeemable while the Black kid is just going to get worse even though he has a job and is going to community college trying to get training as an electrician. He deserves five years in prison.
"as if evidence would help." Youse guys are good.
Halfway houses were supposed to help with things like this. My prison pen pal was too tight lipped to say exactly what the problems were but did say the halfway house actively interfered with job and housing searches. It's not the only time I've heard that.
(She's housed and employed now.)
Asked my brother about the halfway house where he cut his his hand while gutting chickens in a factory. "That's not a halfway house in Fordland, that's a prison."
Sometimes it's little more than boot camp, or prison without walls where the only time you are actually at liberty is going to and from work. Even then you had better not miss the bus or get stuck in traffic because being 15 minutes late to work or back home gets you in trouble. It seems like an overreaction to the people who actually abuse the system, so everyone suffers.
While I'm sure it goes deeper than that, my understanding is that the policies of "you have to be home from x time to y time" and "if the phone rings, which it can at any time, you need to pick up in three rings" keeps your wings clipped.
ETA: I'm happy to hear that she is housed and employed.
It will take about two seconds for Republicans to start screaming about handouts and "putting dangerous criminals in the workplace", if they haven't already. Fuck 'em.
Do YOU waNT to WorK wiTH a MAss MurdeRER?!11!
Do you know of any MAss MurderRERs being released from prison? Not even in California.
I would have put /s at the end but didn't feel it was necessary.
In fairness, on this site random caps kind of serve the same purpose.
my bad. I'll blame it on starting my morning on Twitter/X which set my teeth to grinding.
Oh honey, it is crazy-making.
The best reason to quit twitter!
other than a reluctance to further enrich the Nazi-enabling Boer.
But what about the prison industrial complex? Aren't they impacted by a lower reoffend rate? Where's their compensation hmmm?
"We rely on certain recidivism numbers and this program reduces those, therefore we require compensation"
just like the way some states impose penalties for people going solar and thus reducing demand, profit, revenue.