skunk
06-20-2009, 02:13 PM
The War against the war on drugs by Sasha Abramsky (http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090706/abramsky)
[offsite:34m5hj2w]As California goes, so goes the nation.
If that old adage still holds true, then the nation may soon see a gradual backpedaling from the criminal justice policies that have led to wholesale incarceration in recent decades. For the most populous state in the union is on the verge of insolvency--partly because it didn't set aside a rainy-day fund during the boom years; partly because its voters recently rejected a series of initiatives that would have allowed a combination of tax increases, spending cuts and borrowing to help stabilize the state's finances during the downturn; partly because it has spent the past quarter-century funneling tens of billions of dollars into an out-of-control correctional system. Now, as California's politicians contemplate emergency cuts to deal with a $24 billion hole in the state budget, old certainties are crumbling.[/offsite:34m5hj2w]
The article continues for 4 pages, but I didn't want to post it in its entirety. If you are truly interested in this discussion, I would highly recommend reading all of it. It was enlightening to say the least.
[offsite:34m5hj2w]As California goes, so goes the nation.
If that old adage still holds true, then the nation may soon see a gradual backpedaling from the criminal justice policies that have led to wholesale incarceration in recent decades. For the most populous state in the union is on the verge of insolvency--partly because it didn't set aside a rainy-day fund during the boom years; partly because its voters recently rejected a series of initiatives that would have allowed a combination of tax increases, spending cuts and borrowing to help stabilize the state's finances during the downturn; partly because it has spent the past quarter-century funneling tens of billions of dollars into an out-of-control correctional system. Now, as California's politicians contemplate emergency cuts to deal with a $24 billion hole in the state budget, old certainties are crumbling.[/offsite:34m5hj2w]
The article continues for 4 pages, but I didn't want to post it in its entirety. If you are truly interested in this discussion, I would highly recommend reading all of it. It was enlightening to say the least.