Why are California's prisons overcrowded and "bursting at the seams?"
What will be an ideal response?
Minimum sentencing laws and money are the top reasons California's prisons are overcrowded. More prisoners are serving out lengthy sentences, and not enough jails are being built to accommodate all convicted criminals. California's "three-strikes" law means that violent criminals receive mandatory 25 years to life sentences (without the possibility of parole), which has created a large and aging population requiring substantial and expensive health care--money that might otherwise be spent on upgrading prison facilities to accommodate more prisoners. Fixed, high staffing costs also influence decisions about spending in other areas of corrections that could relieve overpopulation. The three-strikes law was recently changed so that third-strike offenses apply only to serious, violent crimes; many inmates today are serving long sentences under those penalties.
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The role of a conference committee in Congress is to
A. hold hearings on proposed legislation B. oversee the actions of the executive branch of the government C. decide which bills should be considered by the full Senate D. conduct hearings that make information available to the public E. reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate
In what way did Obama go further than Lincoln in building an ideologically diverse administration?
A)He appointed William Seward as Secretary of State. B)He retained Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense. C)He selected Joe Biden to be his vice president. D)He nominated Zöe Baird for Attorney General.