Schwarzenegger: Send prisoners to Mexico

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Schwarzenegger: Send prisoners to Mexico
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger floated a different approach to trimming down California’s bloated prison budget on Monday: pay Mexico to build new prisons and ship off California’s incarcerated illegal immigrants south of the border.
The Republican governor has pushed to house California inmates out-of-state before -- but never in a different country.
“We can do so much better in the prison system alone if we can go and take inmates, for instance the 20,000 inmates that are illegal immigrants that are here, and get them to Mexico,” Schwarzenegger said during a question-and answer session at the Sacramento Press Club. “Think about it.”
It’s cheaper to build prisons in Mexico, Schwarzenegger reasoned, and it’s cheaper to staff them there to boot.
“We pay them to build the prison down in Mexico,” the governor said. “...Half the costs to build the prisons and half the costs to run the prisons. That is money -- $1 billion right there -- that could go into higher education.”
The idea is not a new one. Jim Nielsen, a former head of the state’s parole board and now a state assemblyman, promoted the idea in the mid-1990s. It never happened.
The governor’s office said no specific prisoners-in-Mexico plan is in the works -- just yet. “There’s no proposal,” said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear. “He was mentioning a creative solution we should talk about.”
-- Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento

[Twoller]

That's actually not a bad idea. But keeping prisoners is a legal issue and the law in Mexico is the weak part of their prison system. The prison's are corrupt, just like the police and government are corrupt. How could we build prisons there and isolate them from the rot?

The threat of prison in the US doesn't scare the worse of illegal aliens who would just as likely find themselves in Mexican prisons which are bound to be a lot worse than US jails. And it could be illegals in US prisons still have a shot at remaining illegally in the country when they get out. But if they were in jail in Mexico, this would not be as likely.

But how enthusiastic is Mexico going to be hosting prisons for people that Mexico says should be allowed more freedom to live in the US? We could not hope to ship illegals to jail in Mexico just for being illegals.

[ilbegone]

This flaky idea has all the success potential of pushing a rope as well as all the satisfaction of accomplishment by busting your nuts on a bicycle handlebar.

[Rim05]

He says it would cost a billion dollars to build a prison is Mexico, I would ask, how about a tent city prison in AZ. Old Joe does not seem to have any escape.
Can any one tell me why we are so willing to run off some place and build or spend dollars we do not have to throw away?
Deporting and securing the border sure would help. Arnie is a poor excuse for a governor.

[Ayatollahgondola]

This is just another way to ship money to some cronies in mehico,

All the funds get sent to a more corrupt prison system than the one that's here, without the oversight. Unfortunately, it still might be the best thing for our movement. At first anyway. The chain of illegals might be kinked for bit over this. But long term...I doubt it. We would just have another entitlement on our hands, and when we couldn't support that, we'd have mehico telling us that unless we pay up, they will release the prisoners...probably right on the border.

[Rim05]

Bad idea, leave it to a politician to think of a new way to send money south. What are we getting return for all the millions we send for them to fight the drug cartel?

[Twoller]

Originally Posted by Rim05

Bad idea, leave it to a politician to think of a new way to send money south. What are we getting return for all the millions we send for them to fight the drug cartel?

Good point. Build a prison in Mexico and Mexicans will probably get all the money for it and a little extra besides for the general rot.

[Jeanfromfillmore]

Remo and AG, that was my first thought also. Next thing they'll want is us to pay for their police, then firefighter, then schools and on and on. Mexico is not a poor country, they're just a very corrupt country.

[Patriotic Army Mom]

I'd be happy to donate for the tents. Then dye the outfits pink. Love it!

[Rim05]

The more I think about this the worse it gets.
1. We send money south to build a prison in Mexico, Mexico owns it.

2. The people who will build it will be Mexicans so we are out sourcing the labor to Mexico while our citizens continue to be unemployed.
3. Will we ship food from Bakersfield, Fresno etc to the prisoners?

Good job Arnie!