A kidnapped girl was discovered 18 years after her abduction at the home of a convicted parolee and registered sex offender despite the fact that law enforcement has repeatedly been in contact with the man and has visited his home on many occasions over the years. That law enforcement for almost two decades missed Jaycee Dugard at the home of Phillip and Nancy Garrido is no great surprise to criminal lawyers. The shared resources of the U.S. federal and Nevada state authorities was not enough to effectively manage this parolee. California – like every other state – has overburdened our police, probation and parole authorities by continuing the trend toward retribution and punishment over rehabilitation and reformation. Non-violent three strike offenders overburden prison officials. Juveniles are increasingly being punished as adults within the already crowded criminal courts. New enhancements and new Penal Code provisions and harsher punishment are continually being written into law. The list of those offenses that require registration for life as a sex offender is ever expanding. Consequently, prison, parole and probation officials cannot keep up with the workload and those persons convicted of misdemeanor non-violent sex offenses are draining resources from the supervision of high risk offenders. As California clearly does not have more money to throw at these criminal justice problems, perhaps it is time to re-think how to best allocate the money we do have.
- California Laws SB-30 and SB-145 to Allow Domestic Partnership and Alter Rules for Minors - September 29, 2020
- What Is a Reasonable Bond in California? - April 27, 2020
- What to Do If You Are Accused of Rape - March 6, 2020
