Prison Over Population and Drug Offenders

The issue of drugs and crime is not only a state issue, but has been discussed on the national level as well. Recently the Supreme Court has ruled that the State’s (CA) prisons are so over populated, that it is violating the 8th amendment rights of the inmates. The Eighth Amendment provides protection against cruel and unusual punishment. As a result of this decision, Governor Brown signed AB 109 into law which instructed the state prisons to release “non-violent” prisoners down the county jails. Suspects who would previously been receiving state prison sentences up to three years are now being pushed down to the county jails. The county prosecutors are now issuing shorter jail sentences or giving no time at all. What impact this will have on property crimes that are normally associated with drug dependency. It is also believed that this will result in an increase in violent crimes as well. Changes in the states marijuana law may make criminal drug enterprises diversify and move them more to other drugs like methamphetamine. The result may be a reduction in prison population and state prison expenditure in the short run, but will have an overall increase in overall crime and eventual upward swing in the state prison population as career criminals who are currently categorized as “non-violent offenders” either commit violent crimes or have to be removed from society because of their continued criminal activity.