Security Debrief contributor Julie Myers Wood, former head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, published an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times proposing a potential solution to California’s looming prison inmate overpopulation problem. Wood suggests that the state make use of “Rapid Repatriation” — which would allow for the early release of certain non-violent criminal inmates who are not U.S. citizens — provided that they voluntarily agree to deportation.
Below is an excerpt of the article:
The tentative federal court ruling last week that California must release thousands of inmates in its correctional system comes as more bad news for a state trying to enforce the law and control its budget.
One partial solution may lie in a federal program. The state of California should reconsider joining a program that is saving millions of dollars each year in states including Arizona and New York, and soon many others.
This innovative cost-cutting measure is Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Removal of Eligible Parolees Accepted for Transfer program, known as Rapid Repat.
On top of significant savings related to housing inmates, this program has the added benefit of reducing California’s criminal alien — legal and illegal — prison population and would be a logical part of any comprehensive plan to reduce the prison population.
-
Patrick Mullen
-
Jarrod Newton
