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Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP Extends Warm "Thank You" to Governor Jerry Brown

Attorney J. Tooson and the rest of the team at Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP sincerely thanks Governor Jerry Brown for appearing on Mr. Tooson’s weekly radio show this past Sunday on KJLH to discuss The Public Safety & Rehabilitation Act.

We believe that California desperately needs this initiative. Over the last several decades, California’s prison and jail populations have exploded. The state now spends approximately 10 percent of its general funds on the prison system, which now has a court-ordered population cap. Once this cap is reached, prisoners will have to be arbitrarily released. Not only is this a huge misuse of taxpayer money, it also puts Californians in danger.

The Public Safety & Rehabilitation Act of 2016 was created to invest in proven public safety strategies that work. Here’s what the legislation would accomplish:

  • People in prison will be given incentives to complete education and rehabilitation programs
  • Parole consideration will be authorized for inmates with non-violent convictions who complete the full sentence for their primary offense
  • Judges, rather than prosecutors, will be given the authority to decide whether a youth as young as 14 should be tried as an adult
  • A judge will be required to carefully review all of the circumstances of a youth’s crime and life before making a decision whether to charge them as an adult
  • The Secretary of Corrections will be required to certify that the regulations implementing these policies protect and enhance public safety

By implementing these changes, taxpayers will save money by reducing wasteful spending within our correctional system. Furthermore, it will keep the most dangerous offenders behind bars while working to rehabilitate others.

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