California's Ex Prison Chief Critiques the System
In the Los Angeles Times, JEANNE S. WOODFORD, the recent acting head of California’s troubled prison system, talks about the pressing need for inmate rehabilitation and parole reform. Woodford, who resigned her post in April, also takes some swings at “pandering” politicians, and the prisons guards union, which she labels “an obstacle to reform.” In discussing solutions, Woodford, points to corrections models that have met with success, such as Oregon's Prison Reform and Inmate Work Act.
Elsewhere in the state, PETER Y. SUSSMAN of the Mercury News lays out some of the larger issues that swirl around the CA Gov’s $8 billion a year prisons proposal, including the possibility of overhauling of the state's sentencing structure.