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March 29, 2007
CA: Craig Gilmore speaks at rally against Gov's prison plan
Anti-prison activists rally against governor's plan
By Andy Furillo - Sacramento Bee
Published 11:15 am PDT Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Anti-prison activists rallied on the Capitol's west steps Wednesday
morning, expressing opposition to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plans
to add 78,000 beds to the state prison and county jail systems. The
activists also called for the release of thousands of prisoners and
support for a bill that would eliminate life terms with no
possibility of parole for some youth.
"Let our people go home, and stop putting more of our people in
prison in the first place," speaker Craig Gilmore of the California
Prison Moratorium Project told the crowd of about 150. Schwarzenegger
has proposed expanding existing prisons, building new county jail
space, adding "re-entry" facilities for short-term inmates and
constructing new prison hospitals to ease overcrowding in the state
correctional system.
Some 172,000 inmates are currently being housed in space designed for
about half that many. About 16,000 prisoners are sleeping in gyms,
dayrooms and other facilities not meant to house inmates.
Another rally was scheduled for the afternoon by the Coalition for
Effective Public Safety, which also organized the morning event.
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/145516.html
Posted by lois at March 29, 2007 04:13 PM