Our Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney weighs in on local news impacting Californians

The Los Angeles Times ran an article today indicating that the State of California has entered into contracts with private businesses who will provide prisons for California Inmates. This development stands to potentially impact some of our clients (and indirectly, their Los Angeles criminal defense attorney ) in the following ways:

1. Overcrowded prisons result in more inmates, especially low-risk inmates like drug offenders, being “kicked” or released early from jail. This is great news for our clients and the Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys who represent them. We have had many clients sign up for plea deals for up to several months of jail time, only to be released a few days later and their sentence is considered completed. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know if and when this will occur, so you cannot plan on it. But, when it happens, the inmates are understandably happy.

2. One of the advantages to inmates of having private run jails, is that this introduces the element of free-market competition, which tends to have the effect of driving up quality of services provided. These contracts to provide jails are worth tens of millions of dollars to the contractors awarded the contracts. These contractors stand to make a lot of money off of these contracts and consequently, the contractors want to do everything in their power to keep the contracts. This means that the contractors are motivated to run their jails in such a way, so as to minimize complaints from inmates. Too many complaining inmates puts pressure on the politicians in power to award such contracts. Thus, inmates in these private jails are likely to experience better conditions than in government run jails where there is no free-market influence. While everyone wants a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney who can help them avoid jail all together, when that is not possible, we want conditions to be ideal.

3. Overcrowded prisons will ultimately force state politicians to address problems with our current criminal system which jails too many non-violent offenders whose problems would be better addressed by drug programs and diversion programs. Our Criminal defense attorneys in Los Angeles fight hard every day because of the disproportionate relationship between crimes and the punishments handed down. Overcrowding of jails is further evidence that the system is broken.

Our team of Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorneys and Los Angeles DUI Lawyers have the experience and the desire to help you. If you, or someone you love is being charged with a crime in the state of California. Let call us for a free consultation with a highly experienced criminal defense attorney.