California Prisoners!

Okay, now I see why political posts are discouraged here. Some people apparently think they can make up non-existent statistics to back their play.

Excuse me - I was challenged to come up with a source and I did --- with links to additional sources.
Then you say I "made up non-existent statistics to back my play". I guess the Sacramento Bee is much more reliable?

You do realize that the numbers you brought up are nowhere in that article, right?

Uhmmmm.....no. This exact line is in the article....

Significantly, approximately 30 percent of the inmates in California prisons are illegal aliens, or "documented criminals," if you prefer PCBS.


If you click on that blue underlined texty thing you can see for yourself.

Here is another source that says 12%:

But a comprehensive study released late last year from the Center for Immigration Studies cited federal law enforcement data showing that illegal immigrants made up a disproportionate share of the state prison populations in California and Arizona.

In 2004, the year when the data was most recently available, 12.4 percent of California prisoners were illegal immigrants, as compared with an estimated 6.9 percent of the state population. In Arizona, 11.1 percent of the prison population was undocumented, compared with 7 percent of the overall state population. In Texas, the percentage was also slightly higher in the prisons than it was statewide.



CenterForImmigrationStudiesReport

CISOrgNumbersFrom2007

Even if the real number is 12% --- wouldn't it be a "good thing" to cut crime and prison cost by 12%?

So the source the article quotes says it is 12%, not 30%, but you are still sticking with the 30%, even though your own source says its incorrect. The writer of the OP-Ed states its' 30%, and then links to a source that shows his numbers are wrong, but you'll stick with the thoughly discredited 30% number.

What the hell 12% 30% whats the difference, right.
How about this- If illegals represent 31% of the overall population of California, that means legal residents make up 69% of the overall population, yet an astonishing 88% of the prison population. Want to reduce prison cost? Seems like the thing to do would bring in more illegals and boot out more of the crime prone citizens.

30 percent, 12 percent . . . .

90 percent, 3 percent . . . .

Clearly jphelan did not intend his statement of facts to be interpreted as a factual statement.

It's impossible to have a good discussion with people who don't share the same regard for reality.

Chill - I'm just saying I found multiple conflicting sources on the Internet - who'da thunk?

I'm willing to accept whatever the correct number is. However, 1%, 12%, or 30% --- it is still too much. Illegal aliens are, by definition, here illegally. Any crime they commit is "unnecessary" and any cost we spend educating or incarcerating them is a waste of scarce resources.

jphelan wrote: "Illegal aliens are, by definition, here illegally. Any crime they commit is "unnecessary" and any cost we spend educating or incarcerating them is a waste of scarce resources."

I'm sure that's what the nativists said about the Irish immigrants in the 1800's. Now we celebrate their heritage. Why is it that we must always have an "us" and "them"? Eventually, the "them" become part of "us", and the cycle starts all over again, with the most recent immigrants becoming the new "them"?

But they have funny accents.

And 38% of them worship the devil.