Palo Alto, CA -- In response to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s State of the State Address, Democratic Attorney General candidate Chris Kelly called on the Governor to replace finger pointing with real solutions to reform California’s dysfunctional prison system.

“In his address, the Governor asks ‘What does it say about a state that focuses more on prison uniforms than caps and gowns?’ To me, it says that for six years we’ve had a governor who failed to manage our prisons and now wants to avoid responsibility for the consequences of his mismanagement. This is exactly why I’m running for Attorney General, because the only way to fix what’s broken in California is to put new leaders in charge of California,” said Kelly.

Kelly has been an advocate of a serious and thoughtful reorganization of the way California manages incarcerations, prisons, and public safety systems in general. Kelly believes in a systemic approach that reduces the prison population by deterring crime and supports diverting those who would otherwise move down that path into more productive pursuits.

“For too long, California has thrown taxpayer money at public safety systems that are failing to keep our communities safe. Prison and sentencing reform have many complex elements and one-stop-shop solutions such as privatization are not the answer. For the Governor to proclaim that the answer to our failing and costly prison system is to move from public to private management is out of touch with the reality of the situation. Accounting gimmicks driven by prison population numbers are not part of a real reform agenda,” said Kelly.