Californians are frightened now that the state, in a cost-saving measure, has started the early release of thousands of prison inmates. About 6,500 have been freed. And in Los Angeles County alone, 7,700 parolees will no longer be supervised.
Incarceration of criminals and supervision of parolees are expensive. But turning convicted criminals loose on society and ending their supervision will create enormous costs, too.
Many criminals commit new crimes once they are freed, so California will spend plenty in coming years to retry many of those it is releasing. And there are horrible intangible costs to those who will be newly victimized.
We’re afraid the Golden State is being penny-wise and pound-foolish.