EDITORIAL JAILHOUSE BLOCK GOVERNOR SHOULD SIGN PRISON ACCESS BILL.DOES anyone think the state of California's prisons has improved since 1995? Obviously, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): [ˈaɐ̯nɔlt ˈaloɪ̯s ˈʃvaɐ̯ʦənˌʔɛɡɐ] , who called a special session of the Legislature to deal with the prison crisis, doesn't. That's why he should sign Senate Bill 1521, by Sen. Gloria Romero Gloria J. Romero is currently the Democratic majority leader of the California State Senate and the first woman to ever hold this leadership position. Romero grew up in Barstow, and earned her associate's degree from Barstow Community College. She went on to a B.A. , D-Los Angeles, which would give media better access to the state's prisons See State prison . Media had freer access to prisons until 1995, when then-Gov. Pete Wilson For others named Pete Wilson, see . Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American Republican politician from California. Wilson served as the thirty-sixth Governor of California (1991–1999), the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that imposed restrictions after reporters exposed brutality at some of the state's prisons. Since then, the correctional system has sunk deeper into dysfunction. Romero's bill would allow reporters to interview inmates on a prearranged pre·ar·range tr.v. pre·ar·ranged, pre·ar·rang·ing, pre·ar·rang·es To arrange in advance. pre basis. Currently, they can only talk to prisoners encountered ``randomly'' as they tour a facility. The bill would maintain wardens' rights to deny or restrict interviews for reasons of safety or security. Reasonable decisions about prison reform cannot be made without public knowledge of existing conditions. If the governor doesn't agree, he's not serious about wanting to reform the system. |
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