Arnold Schwarzenegger on Crime

	Arnold Schwarzenegger on Crime Republican CA Governor

Allow private prisons to compete, to spend less on prisons

The priorities have become out of whack over the years. 30 years ago 10% of the general fund went to higher education and 3% went to prisons. Today, almost 11% goes to prisons and only 7.5% goes to higher education.

Spending 45% more on prisons than universities is no way to proceed into the future. What does it say about our state? It simply is not healthy. So I will submit to you a constitutional amendment so that never again do we spend a greater percentage of our money on prisons than on higher education.

And the way we get this done is to find more cost-effective ways to run our prison system and allows private prisons to compete with public prisons. Competition and choice are always good. I mean, California spends $50,000 per prisoner. The ten largest states spend $32,000 only.

If California's prisons were privately run, it would save us billions of dollars a year. That's billions of dollars that could go back into higher education where it belongs and where it better serves our future.

Source: California 2010 State of the State Address , Jan 6, 2010

Tookie Williams insufficiently remorseful; so execution on

Stanley Tookie Williams, the co-founder of the violent Crips street gang, was executed Tuesday by lethal injection. Williams had maintained his innocence since his arrest & conviction in four 1979 slayings. He denounced gang violence and wrote children’s books with an anti-gang message, donating the proceeds to anti-gang community groups.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger questioned the sincerity of Williams’ conversion to nonviolence. His 5-page statement on his decision to deny clemency for Williams said, “Is Williams’ redemption complete and sincere, or is it just a hollow promise?” He added: “ Without an apology and atonement, the one thing that would be the clearest indication of complete remorse is the one thing Williams will not do.”

The editor of Williams’ books pledged that his supporters would not give up their fight to prove Williams’ innocence. “We are going to prove his innocence, and when we do, we are going to show that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is himself a cold blooded murderer.”

Source: Ted Rowlands, Kareen Wynter and Bill Mears on CNN.com , Dec 13, 2005

Death penalty is a necessary and effective deterrent

Q: Do you support the death penalty?

A: Yes. I believe it is a necessary and effective deterrent to capital crimes.

Source: 2003 Gubernatorial campaign website, JoinArnold.com , Aug 29, 2003

Keep “Three Strikes” law

Q: Do you support the Three Strikes law?

A: Yes, and I believe it should not be modified. It has proven to be an excellent deterrent to violent crime.