State’s Prison Population

After reading the commentary by Vincent Schiraldi (“Some Gift--For $1.4 Billion, We Pay $31 Billion,” March 15), I couldn’t help but feel a sense of worry for California and the nation. Pity the victims if people like Schiraldi were to begin formulating correctional policy. While Californians should rightfully be concerned with the finances of the federal crime bill, money should not be the primary concern when formulating policy dealing with crime. Our main concern is, and should remain, the provision of public safety.

While it costs $21,000 to house an inmate annually, the long-term price the crime victim pays is far greater than what dollars and cents can measure. Those of us who are law-abiding citizens should not have our freedom curtailed due to the misguided beliefs of a select few.

Schiraldi was correct in citing that over the past 18 years violent crimes in California have risen 55%, and that our prison population has grown sixfold. However, he ignores recent data that show a marked decrease in the rate of crime overall and violent crime specifically.

Since the early 1980s, we have been involved in a major prison building program. During that same time, the California Crime Index leveled off after several years of double-digit increases.

To use more contemporary information, from 1988 to 1993, the rate of crimes committed in California increased only 1%. In addition, during the first six months of 1994, the rate of crimes committed in this state dropped 7.7% compared to the same period in 1993. As for violent crimes the rate dropped 2.7% in 1993 and 7.8% in 1994. We can’t ignore the fact that repeat criminals are a major factor in California’s crime rate. Gov. Pete Wilson has once and for all done something about these career criminals with the signing of the “three-strikes, you’re out” law. This law puts an end to the ridiculous “revolving-door” policy of letting repeat criminals back out on the streets.

One can only shudder to think what the crime rate would have been if we had not constructed the necessary facilities to incarcerate those felons, who incidentally represent only 26% of all convicted felons. Put another way, more than seven out of every 10 felons don’t go to prison; instead they remain in the community.

And yet, California’s 29 state prisons with a total of 69,761 beds are occupied at 173.9% of capacity. While none of us are pleased that these numbers have been on the increase or that the need for more prisons exists, one indisputable fact remains: repeat criminals behind bars are not in our neighborhoods committing other crimes.

JOE G. SANDOVAL

Secretary, Youth and Adult

Correctional Agency, Sacramento