SAN FERNANDO : Katz Pushes Bill on Release of Felons

The state Legislature shares part of the blame for the slaying of Polly Klaas because it has failed to act on measures that would keep convicted felons behind bars for their full sentences, Assemblyman Richard Katz charged Wednesday.

The Sylmar Democrat, who is up for reelection next year, advised members of the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce to call legislators and pressure them to “grow up and make tough decisions” to reduce or eliminate rules shortening criminals’ terms for good behavior.

“In my mind, the people I want in prison are the felons, the violent felons, the repeat offenders and particularly the sex offenders,” Katz said. Those prisoners should not be able to reduce their sentences simply by working or behaving properly while incarcerated, he said.

Katz said recent sexual assaults in the San Fernando Valley, along with the kidnaping and slaying of 12-year-old Polly in Petaluma, a crime that a parolee has confessed to, should be enough momentum to get action on his campaign to curtail the state’s so-called “good time/work time” provisions.

“If that doesn’t do it, I don’t know what it will take,” Katz said. “This is a classic case where if the Legislature had changed the good time/work time laws, this fellow wouldn’t be out there on the streets.”

Katz said he has repeatedly pushed bills that would eliminate or cut the time off for good behavior, running into opposition from liberals and conservatives. Liberals won’t sign such a bill without comprehensive reform of all sentencing, and conservatives complain the measures cost too much, Katz said.

He urged chamber members to contact other legislators to support a bill he is sponsoring that would permit certain felons to cut their sentences by only 15%, instead of the current 50% allowed under state rules. Katz said he wanted to eliminate reductions completely, but the governor’s office pushed for the 15% as a tool to entice prisoners to behave during incarceration.

“I always like being to the right of the governor,” Katz quipped.

Katz also is pushing for renewal of the state’s asset-forfeiture law that expires in January. The law allows police to confiscate property involved in drug offenses, a source of funding and equipment for many local governments and law enforcement agencies.

Katz is running for reelection next year to the 39th Assembly District covering most of the northern Valley. He challenged chamber members to press all candidates on their stand on sentence reductions during the upcoming campaign.