Los Angeles releasing 130 inmates a day - no money to keep them

[donsu]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20040326/us_nm/crime_inmates_dc

Budget problems have forced the Los Angeles County Sheriff to grant early release to an average of 130 inmates a day, many having served as little as 10 percent of their sentences, a spokesman said on Thursday.

The inmates being released early are largely drug offenders, car thieves, vandals and embezzlers, said a spokesman for Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, an elected Democrat who hopes to win a half-cent sales tax increase, to 8-3/4 cents, on the county's November ballot.

-snip-

Since June 2002, Whitmore said, the department has prematurely released 2,231 spousal abusers, 2,016 people caught driving without valid licenses and 1,683 drunken drivers.

He added that 972 inmates who committed assaults with deadly weapons were released early, as were 682 robbers, 442 batterers and 253 auto thieves.
-snip-
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130 jobless people a day.

[tridim]

1. Has Tommy Chong been released yet?

If not, why?

[MadProphetMargin]

2. You're joking, right?

Even if that wasn't federal, they keep the DANGEROUS POT-SMOKERS til the very last minute.

[JohnyCanuck]

3. Can't they put them up in the CA Governor's mansion?

He's probably got lots of spare rooms, and none of these guys will want to be a badass and make trouble if he knows the Gropenator is in the room next door itching to kick his ass if he steps out of line.