Once It's Emptied, It'll Be Filled Up

Okay. That's not exactly like the quote "If you build them, they'll come" in the movie The Field of Dreams. However, it'll work to describe the governor's decision to send California prisoners to other states to relieve overcrowding in prisons.

For years, prison population has forced prison administrations to modify gyms into dorms and add triple bunks to warehouse prisoners. Sometimes you can even find prisoners sleeping on broadways on the first tier.

Nothing has worked in lowering the steadily rising prison population. Sending prisoners to toher states will not do it either. That's because, for the past two decades, California has become a prison-building, lock-them-up-and-throw-away-the-key, get-tough-on-crime-and-get-elected state.

Nothing is going to change unless the governor starts focusing on rehabilitation in action by providing more self-help and educational programs and re-entry programs. The taxpayers and voters have to vote for changes in laws to focus more on education for our youth rather than building more prisons.