Skip to: [ search ] [ menus ] [ content ] Select style [ Aqua ] [ Citrus ] [ Fire ] [ Orange ] [ show/hide more content ]



Why smart folks don’t believe the state of California!

California corrections officers dangled a limited-time deal that appeared too good to be true before thousands of California ex-convicts who have broken off contact with their parole officers: turn yourself in, get $200, and qualify for an amnesty program.

It was.

The 150 who showed up got handcuffs instead of checks, and most of them found themselves on their way back to California’s over-crowded state prisons for violating their parole. :-)

(Note added May 17, 2010: On the radio, I heard that only 80-something of the 150 were handcuffed and sent back to prison. Should I BELIEVE it? :-) )

(Note added May 18, 2010: Hmmmmmm, I wonder how the AMOUNT of fake reward money was chosen. This looks a lot like, “Go DIRECTLY to JAIL! Do not pass ‘GO.’ Do not collect $200.” :-) )

As P.T. Barnum supposedly said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.

There are more than 14,000 of such ex-convicts out there!

Agents set up a Web site for the program, with an email address. An agent was appointed to the fictitious post of “amnesty program director.” Agents sent 2,700 letters to the relatives of parolees-at-large to advertise the fake reward-and-amnesty program.

Tony Chaus, who runs the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation‘s Office of Correctional Safety said:

“Using the Web page and such is a new way to do it. We used to play on the greed, and now we’re playing on the promise that they might be released from custody.”

(Note added May 16, 2010: In other words, the state LIED to them, trapping the most gullible, who may have really wanted to improve their conditions, and who ignored the FIRST rule of “how not to be seen” – don’t stand up! The rest of us should learn from this example with ex-convicts. Was it good to get ex-convicts who violated parole off the streets? Probably. Will the rest of such ex-convicts (14,000 minus 150) ever believe pronouncements by state officials, EVEN IF THEY ARE TRUE? Never. “Experience keeps a dear <expensive; definition #4> school, but fools will learn in no other.” – Benjamin Franklin)

As we used to say in high tech, “It MUST be true; it’s on the Web!” 😉

The “sting” operation took advantage of a REAL law that took effect in January that creates a new non-revocable parole for some offenders who are believed less dangerous. Those on non-revocable parole do not have to report to parole agents, are free to come and go, and cannot be sent back to prison unless they are convicted of a new crime.

According to The Sacramento Bee:

“The fugitives were told they would either be put on non-revocable parole or discharged from parole entirely to help the state cut costs and prison crowding.

‘If you have received a letter, you are pre-qualified for Amnesty or Discharge, ‘ read the offer posted on the website. ‘Your warrant will be canceled and a $200.00 check will be issued…. A Non Revocable Parole card will be issued and you will be free to go.'”

:-) Yeah. Right.

(Because, if these are the “GOOD guys,” you don’t want to meet the “BAD guys….”)

You should hear what California tells all of us folks who are NOT ex-convicts, while passing new laws without “grandfathering,” to retroactively criminalize many of us. :-) You would think that California actually had ROOM in its jails and prisons… and money in its treasury.

-Bill at

Cheshire Cat Photo™ – “Your Guide to California’s Wonderland™”

You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. Apparel and other gifts decorated with some of our most popular photos can be ordered from the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Store on CafePress®. Both Shutterfly™ and CafePress® ship to most international locations worldwide! Framed prints and prints on canvas can be ordered from our galleries on imagekind® and redbubble®. All four locations are accessible from here. Be a “Facebook Fan” of Cheshire Cat Photo here! If you don’t see what you want or would like to receive an email when new photos are up on the site, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.

Š2010 William F. Hackett. All Rights Reserved.

No Comments to “Why smart folks don’t believe the state of California!”

  (RSS feed for these comments)

You must be logged in to post a comment.


InspectorWordpress has prevented 52153 attacks.
Get Adobe Flash player