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Prison expansion out of control
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I am deeply concerned by the proposed prison expansion near Camarillo and stand together with the growing coalition of concerned Camarillo and Ventura County citizens who oppose the plans to construct a 1,500-bed facility for inmates with mental-health or medical conditions. The facility is out of place in Camarillo and potentially harmful to the future of the area.
Our roads, water and sewage facilities and housing stock are not adequate for the massive increases that will result from this new facility, its staff and physical plant. It will place undue stress on existing infrastructure, impact the quality of life for nearby residents, deplete the existing healthcare work force and is potentially environmentally hazardous.
The prison expansion raises real fears about public safety in our communities. The last thing our families and our economy need is the threat of escaped prisoners.
Maintaining a high level of public safety will require far more resources and will not eliminate the perceived threat felt by residents.
This facility ignores the surrounding community. Those who have invested their time, resources and good faith in making Camarillo a safe, healthy and attractive place to live do not deserve to be blindsided by this kind of misplaced development that undermines their efforts.
We must ensure that a careful examination is undertaken of all possible environmental impacts to the water and sewage infrastructure, and of all other potential detriments to the health and safety of Camarillo-area residents, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. I am particularly concerned about the impacts on the healthcare and public-safety infrastructure and whether or not we can expand the local healthcare work force to make up for raids by the prison, and take care of the healthcare needs of our existing population. There is no question that increased demand for personnel will raise the cost of healthcare and public-safety services in our district.
California faces serious decisions because of the rapid, out-of-control expansion of its prison system. We need to find practical, long-term solutions to a problem that has long been a political football.
We can no longer ignore the impacts of the criminal-justice system on our communities.
As the only candidate in the race for the 19th Senate District who has prosecuted violent criminals, I know firsthand the importance of a functioning prison system. However, our state is using an extremely expensive prison system not only to isolate violent offenders, but also to do the job that our underfunded mental-health system should be doing and that our decimated school system could have prevented.
Maintaining our schools and social services will save billions over the long run in prison costs, and help us avoid the kind of prison expansion we may be forced to live with now.
— Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara served in the state Assembly from 1998-2004. She is the Democratic Party nominee to replace term-limited state Sen. Tom McClintock in an open seat in the 19th Senate District, which includes parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and a small portion of Los Angeles County.
Posted by MECapron on August 21, 2008 at 5:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear Hannah-Beth,
You and Supervisor John Flynn propose the most intelligent and globally thinking alternatives to large prison hospitals. You (and John)need a practical way to reduce traditional prison expenses in order to shift funding to smaller mental health facilites, social services, and education.
You both need to simultaneously:
1. Administer a more humane, productive, and live-salvaging punishment to Level 1 and perhaps 2 prisoners.
2. Provide adequate incarceration and care (as judged by Receiver Kelso) for Level 3 and 4 prisoners in existing prison facilities.
3. Have all Californian’s spend $billions less on prisoners.
You can do all three with Wii-bracelets deployed faster than Receiver Kelso can complete construction on the first new prison hospital.
A Wii-bracelet is carrot, stick, and conscience booster. It can detect if the wearer is driving a car, drinking from a bottle, bicycling, working, tagging a wall, and buying, smoking, snorting, or shooting a drug. The Wii-bracelet is a better 24/7 guard than when in a “hard” jail, but also coach and mentor. The Wii-bracelet is both carrot and stick. Potential Wii-bracelet features include:
• Should the prisoner stop on the street to make a deal, the phone records conversation and warns of impending taser.
• The phone rewards the prisoner for work or exercise.
• Should the prisoner enter a forbidden area (Your home and car is forbidden!), the phone records conversation, warns of impending taser, and alarms to police.
• Crime specific detection allowing employers to rehire an embezzler (so they can repay).
After the election, I hope you are willing to lead us out of the box by applying electronics to California's crises: prison, budget, transportation, climate, and energy.
Mark Capron, professional civil engineer
Posted by handyhood on August 21, 2008 at 7:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hannah-Beth, It says you are from Santa Barbara? You can't speak for the residents of Camarillo. First of all, this is a hospital. No prisoners are going to be allowed out! For years Camarillo was the home of a State Hospital. The only reason it isn't there anymore is because of cutbacks from Sacramento. Those "patients" who were more of a risk than the ones that will be house in a prison hospital. Because a prison hospital would be much more secure. Everyone say's we need more prisons but they all say "not in my neighborhood". A prison hospital will bring much needed jobs to the County of Ventura. So Hannah-Beth, it seems you don't have our best interest at heart. HOW DID YOU GET ELECTED?
Posted by THESILKY1 on August 21, 2008 at 4:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hannah Beth is on track when it comes to the proposed prison site in Camarillo. Nobody has bothered to comment on the effects of the infrastructure, and as to what effects, a prison of this size will have on the community, and surrounding areas of Ventura County.
Where is the facts?
I still want to know, where is the EIR report, has the receiver given up?
We don't go to the Gov, Controller, Senate and Assembly of California and say I need 8 Billion Dollars.
The question is for what.
Where is your Plans, Figures, Capital Outlay, Costs, and LAO Reports, ETC.
Oh I forgot, I work for a Federal Judge, but I'm paid by the Califronia Tax Payer and I can get what ever I want, when the State of California is in fiscal Bliss and 18 Billion dollars in the hole.
Never mind getting EIR Reports I am Exempt.
Clark what planet are you from?
Still want to meet with the Residents of the County, as you promised?
Build your prison elsewhere perhaps Blyth or in your neck of the woods.
Hillbilly Prince.....
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