California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently suggested building cheaper prisons in Mexico to house illegal immigrant prisoners now incarcerated in California as one way to help the state’s struggling economy.
“It will halve the costs to build the prisons and halve the costs to run the prisons,” Schwarzenegger said. “That is money—again, a billion dollars right there—that can go into higher education.”
The comments were made during a Sacramento Press Club luncheon on Jan. 25, where Schwarzenegger noted that 20,000 inmates in the state are illegal immigrants.
In a letter to California’s Congressional Delegation on Jan. 13, Schwarzenegger also brought up the issue of illegal immigrants in California prisons and requested reimbursement for their incarceration from the federal government.
“California delegation members have issued scathing indictments of the federal government for its failure to reimburse states for the cost of incarcerating criminal aliens in state prisons,” says the letter from Schwarzenegger.
“California is forced to spend $880 million this year alone to pay for the cost of incarceration,” he said, adding that, “In my proposed budget for next year, California is seeking reimbursement for those costs, and we need your help in continuing to press the federal government to live up to its responsibility.”
Looking to cut costs to reduce the state’s $19.9 billion deficit has been an ongoing campaign for Schwarzenegger. California has seen the highest levels of job loss in the country amid the economic crisis.
Improvements have been made from last year when the state faced a $60 billion deficit, yet times are still tough.
During the Monday speech to the Sacramento Press Club, Schwarzenegger added that he will not raise taxes for a second year and will instead find ways to cut costs.
The prison system has been a target of these cuts. Schwarzenegger plans to release up to 21,000 prisoners not imprisoned for violent crimes over the next two years. They will be granted “non-revocable parole.”
Schwarzenegger also has a separate plan to release 40,000 inmates from state prisons, but the Supreme Court has the plan on hold.
“It will halve the costs to build the prisons and halve the costs to run the prisons,” Schwarzenegger said. “That is money—again, a billion dollars right there—that can go into higher education.”
The comments were made during a Sacramento Press Club luncheon on Jan. 25, where Schwarzenegger noted that 20,000 inmates in the state are illegal immigrants.
In a letter to California’s Congressional Delegation on Jan. 13, Schwarzenegger also brought up the issue of illegal immigrants in California prisons and requested reimbursement for their incarceration from the federal government.
“California delegation members have issued scathing indictments of the federal government for its failure to reimburse states for the cost of incarcerating criminal aliens in state prisons,” says the letter from Schwarzenegger.
“California is forced to spend $880 million this year alone to pay for the cost of incarceration,” he said, adding that, “In my proposed budget for next year, California is seeking reimbursement for those costs, and we need your help in continuing to press the federal government to live up to its responsibility.”
Looking to cut costs to reduce the state’s $19.9 billion deficit has been an ongoing campaign for Schwarzenegger. California has seen the highest levels of job loss in the country amid the economic crisis.
Improvements have been made from last year when the state faced a $60 billion deficit, yet times are still tough.
During the Monday speech to the Sacramento Press Club, Schwarzenegger added that he will not raise taxes for a second year and will instead find ways to cut costs.
The prison system has been a target of these cuts. Schwarzenegger plans to release up to 21,000 prisoners not imprisoned for violent crimes over the next two years. They will be granted “non-revocable parole.”
Schwarzenegger also has a separate plan to release 40,000 inmates from state prisons, but the Supreme Court has the plan on hold.
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