California Goes Off the Deep End as Inmates Gain Right To Possess Marijuana in Prison

[bigwave]

 

California Goes Off the Deep End as Inmates Gain Right To Possess Marijuana in Prison

 

California’s nickname has long been “The Golden State,” but it might be time to re-name it “The Land of Unintended Consequences.”

 

The increasingly liberal state has already run into problems with its past choices, many of which seem great on paper — to the left, at least — until they’re actually put into practice.

 

Sanctuary policies are a good example: They made west coast liberals feel good but lead to rampant homelessness and poverty.

Now, yet another bright idea out of California is having unintended consequences. A court in the state has just ruled that the 2016 recreational marijuana law passed there applies to everyone, meaning that even prison inmates must be legally allowed to possess pot.

 

“The 3rd District Court of Appeal’s 20-page ruling says the state’s voters legalized recreational possession of less than an ounce of cannabis in 2016, with no exception — even for those behind bars,” Fox News reported on Friday. 

 

That’s good news for one group: prisoners who were facing added jail time because they got caught with drugs in the joint, if you’ll pardon the pun

.

“The decision Tuesday overturned the Sacramento County convictions of five inmates who’d been found with marijuana in their prison cells,” Fox News continued.

The legal landscape around marijuana was already a mess, but it’s even more convoluted for people who are serving time. California’s cannabis law neglected to prohibit possession by inmates, and one of the core judicial concepts in America is that anything not prohibited is de facto legal.

 

“According to the plain language of…Proposition 64, possession of less than an ounce of cannabis in prison is no longer a felony,” wrote the court panel of three judges who ruled on the issue. 

 

But it gets complicated. “Smoking or ingesting cannabis in prison remains a felony,” they added.

 

In other words: Marijuana is federally illegal, but legal in California, including in prison, but illegal to actually consume behind bars. Are you taking notes?

 

As if the issue wasn’t murky enough, authorities also say that prisons can make it a rules violation to possess marijuana, just like other contraband. So a prisoner with a joint may still face prison-level consequences, but effectively can’t be charged with a new crime.

 

“[P]ossession can still be punished as a rule violation by the California Department of Corrections,” confirmed The Mercury News. “But if inmates wants to keep a jar of weed next to their bunk, the district attorney can’t file charges, according to the ruling.”

 

In a twist, some defenders of the ruling tried to make a libertarian and fiscal conservative argument to back it up. 

 

“[T]his ruling will prevent inmates from having years added to their sentences for simple possession, reducing overcrowding and saving $50,000-75,000 a year in unnecessary costs,” Assistant Public Defender David Lynch told The Associated Press.

 

Maybe. But it seems likely that the question of weed possession in prison was completely overlooked when the recreational marijuana law was drafted, and the entire convoluted situation could have been avoided with one additional paragraph of clarification.

 

This raises real questions about where the line should be when it comes to extending the comforts of home into prisons. A jail sentence is supposed to be a punishment, after all.

 

Shrugging and going “whatever, keep your drugs” is just a stone’s throw away from turning the big house into a frat house, so comfortable that it stops being any kind of deterrent. Maybe they’d like a PlayStation and some snacks to go with it?

 

The real takeaway, though, is probably the ineffectiveness and foolishness of endless big government. Relying on bureaucracy to “fix” something is a fool’s errand, often creating a dozen more problems instead of improving anything. California is becoming the perfect example of that, and it’s happening right before our eyes.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2019/06/california-goes-off-deep-end-as-inmates.html

[nstoolman1]

Prisoners have no rights except to meals, ( and that does not mean they eat better than our Veterans who served and paid a price we can never repay) and a cot. 

Do the crime, do the time. 

 

Stupid California!!!!

Edited June 17, 2019 by nstoolman1

[gregp]

It will chill them out. 

[SocalDinar]

And now the loons in Sacramento want to give illegals between age 19 and 24 free healthcare at a cost of 98 million dollars to our taxpayers here.

[bostonangler]

5 minutes ago, SocalDinar said:

And now the loons in Sacramento want to give illegals between age 19 and 24 free healthcare at a cost of 98 million dollars to our taxpayers here.

 

I wonder how much California spends on treating those without healthcare when they show up at emergency rooms... I know healthcare sounds expensive, but preventive care might actually save money... It would be interesting to see the numbers.

 

I don't know about California, but in Tennessee it is a law that anyone who shows up at a hospital has to be treated until they are well enough to be released regardless of their ability to pay.

 

B/A

[nstoolman1]

58 minutes ago, bostonangler said:

 

I wonder how much California spends on treating those without healthcare when they show up at emergency rooms... I know healthcare sounds expensive, but preventive care might actually save money... It would be interesting to see the numbers.

 

I don't know about California, but in Tennessee it is a law that anyone who shows up at a hospital has to be treated until they are well enough to be released regardless of their ability to pay.

 

B/A

 

The State is not in the business to provide health care either through funds or physical buildings.

It is up to the insurance companies to pay for it. That 98 million comes out of a general fund that could be used for infra structure. 

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS should not get free healthcare. Patch em up and send them home. 

Your example sounds a lot like "I save a whole bunch of money on a bunch of crap on sale"

No, you save a whole bunch of money by not buying the crap to begin with.  

 

 

 

[SocalDinar]

18 hours ago, bostonangler said:

 

I wonder how much California spends on treating those without healthcare when they show up at emergency rooms... I know healthcare sounds expensive, but preventive care might actually save money... It would be interesting to see the numbers.

 

I don't know about California, but in Tennessee it is a law that anyone who shows up at a hospital has to be treated until they are well enough to be released regardless of their ability to pay.

 

B/A

Same law here but Hospitals have to eat these costs which drives up the cost for everyone else. 

 

Another issue regarding illegals is the use of our infrastructure such as roads and schools.

There are over 2 million illegals immigrants in CA.

 

Lets say that just 10% drive a car although it most likely higher

Thats over 200.000 extra cars on our roads. 

How much does the lost production by citizens sitting in traffic cost the states economy?

 

About 1 in 8 children in our schools have illegal parents.

These kids cost quite a bit more than the others as they need special attention.

 

These are just two items!!!  Its crazy to expect citizens to pay for these illegals.

And yes they are illegal immigrants Calling them undocumented immigrants  is like calling drug dealers unlicensed pharmacists.

 

Just my opinion 

 

 

 

[bostonangler]

2 hours ago, SocalDinar said:

Same law here but Hospitals have to eat these costs which drives up the cost for everyone else. 

 

Another issue regarding illegals is the use of our infrastructure such as roads and schools.

There are over 2 million illegals immigrants in CA.

 

Lets say that just 10% drive a car although it most likely higher

Thats over 200.000 extra cars on our roads. 

How much does the lost production by citizens sitting in traffic cost the states economy?

 

About 1 in 8 children in our schools have illegal parents.

These kids cost quite a bit more than the others as they need special attention.

 

These are just two items!!!  Its crazy to expect citizens to pay for these illegals.

And yes they are illegal immigrants Calling them undocumented immigrants  is like calling drug dealers unlicensed pharmacists.

 

Just my opinion 

 

 

 

 

Good points and well taken.

Thanx

B/A

[Shabibilicious]

Alcohol is legal in California too....are prisoners allowed to have alcohol behind bars as well?    As for the healthcare costs for illegals....send the bill to the business dirt bags who employ them under the table.  As always, just my opinion.

 

GO RV, then BV

[bostonangler]

33 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

send the bill to the business dirt bags who employ them under the table. 

 

Damn snappy!!!

 

B/A

[SocalDinar]

3 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

Alcohol is legal in California too....are prisoners allowed to have alcohol behind bars as well?    As for the healthcare costs for illegals....send the bill to the business dirt bags who employ them under the table.  As always, just my opinion.

 

GO RV, then BV

Good idea.

  The cheap illegal labor hurts my business. I used to do residential electrical work 25 years ago. I was able to make decent money at it. Not anymore. Hard to even find English speaking people on these job sites. They work for cheap and don't pay into the system.

They don't have licenses and they don't have any insurance.  Truth is many homeowners are cheap too. Thats why they hire them.

Thankfully my commercial and industrial customers only use licensed and insured contractors.

 

 

E verify is useless.  They have forged documents.. I know from experience. He was Hispanic but spoke good english and had all the proper documents for the I-9 form. We use E verify and he went through no problem.  I got a letter from the social security office a six months after i hired the guy. It said there was a problem with his SS #.  SIX MONTHS!!!  I called and asked what we were supposed to do. They said nothing. Just tell him as it could be a typo.  So i showed him the letter. Guess what?  He was a no show the next day and i never heard back from him again.  

[jg1]

1 hour ago, SocalDinar said:

Good idea.

  The cheap illegal labor hurts my business. I used to do residential electrical work 25 years ago. I was able to make decent money at it. Not anymore. Hard to even find English speaking people on these job sites. They work for cheap and don't pay into the system.

They don't have licenses and they don't have any insurance.  Truth is many homeowners are cheap too. Thats why they hire them.

Thankfully my commercial and industrial customers only use licensed and insured contractors.

 

 

E verify is useless.  They have forged documents.. I know from experience. He was Hispanic but spoke good english and had all the proper documents for the I-9 form. We use E verify and he went through no problem.  I got a letter from the social security office a six months after i hired the guy. It said there was a problem with his SS #.  SIX MONTHS!!!  I called and asked what we were supposed to do. They said nothing. Just tell him as it could be a typo.  So i showed him the letter. Guess what?  He was a no show the next day and i never heard back from him again.  

Like the Disneyland hotel told me in an interview. How do you work with Hispanics? I said good. He said good because we usually only hire hispanics.  He said, Hispanics will work for less and put up with more. Too bad I didn't get that on recording.