February 16, 2005
“I talked with the Governor about changing the law to include rehabilitation in addition to punishment as the purpose of incarceration, as I attempted to do when I served in the California legislature. He listened very carefully and asked me to forward my thoughts to him in writing, which I intend to do”.
Rep. Lee has been leading the fight to restore rehabilitation as a stated purpose of incarceration in California since she served in the state Assembly and Senate. Rehabilitation was removed as a stated goal of incarceration from the Penal Code in 1977. Currently, the purposes of incarceration in California are incapacitation, public safety, and deterrence.
In 1995, while serving in the assembly, Rep. Lee amended the Penal Code to reference rehabilitation.
“That was the only modest change that Governor Wilson would sign,” said Rep. Lee. “It’s time to revisit this issue.”
Lee joined the California Congressional delegation in calling on the Governor to make good on his campaign promises to be the “Colectinator,” and to work with the Bush administration and the powerful Republican committee chairs from California to deliver federal funds to the state.
California currently only receives a 79-cent return for every tax dollar paid in federal taxes. In the 1980’s California collected about $7 billion more annually from the federal budget than it sent to Washington in taxes, today, California faces the untenable loss of about $50 billion a year. President Bush’s proposed budget will leave California as one of four states that will receive less federal funding than in the last fiscal year.
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Rep. Lee Presses Governor on the Need for Rehabilitation
(Washington, DC) – Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) discussed issues of criminal justice and rehabilitation with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger during his visit to Washington, DC to seek federal funds for California.“I talked with the Governor about changing the law to include rehabilitation in addition to punishment as the purpose of incarceration, as I attempted to do when I served in the California legislature. He listened very carefully and asked me to forward my thoughts to him in writing, which I intend to do”.
Rep. Lee has been leading the fight to restore rehabilitation as a stated purpose of incarceration in California since she served in the state Assembly and Senate. Rehabilitation was removed as a stated goal of incarceration from the Penal Code in 1977. Currently, the purposes of incarceration in California are incapacitation, public safety, and deterrence.
In 1995, while serving in the assembly, Rep. Lee amended the Penal Code to reference rehabilitation.
“That was the only modest change that Governor Wilson would sign,” said Rep. Lee. “It’s time to revisit this issue.”
Lee joined the California Congressional delegation in calling on the Governor to make good on his campaign promises to be the “Colectinator,” and to work with the Bush administration and the powerful Republican committee chairs from California to deliver federal funds to the state.
California currently only receives a 79-cent return for every tax dollar paid in federal taxes. In the 1980’s California collected about $7 billion more annually from the federal budget than it sent to Washington in taxes, today, California faces the untenable loss of about $50 billion a year. President Bush’s proposed budget will leave California as one of four states that will receive less federal funding than in the last fiscal year.
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