- Making News: FBI Indicts "Parlor Maid" Katrina Leung
Katrina Leung, the alleged double-agent called -Parlor Maid- by the FBI, was indicted this afternoon by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. Former FBI agent James Smith, who is alleged to have passed these documents to her, was indicted yesterday. Andy Murr, who is covering this ongoing story for Newsweek magazine, says Leung is considered a flight risk and is being held without bail.
Budget Cuts at California Prisons
Faced with a $35 billion deficit, Governor Davis is demanding 10% cutbacks in all state departments, including the prison system. So, in a confidential telephone briefing with prison wardens and other officials, Corrections Department Director Edward Alameida reportedly proposed eliminating the supervision of all parolees, along with their state-funded mental healthcare. Would that be a risk to public safety? Are there better ways to reduce the costs of America-s largest and most expensive prison system? Is the proposal serious, or is it a political challenge to elected officials to keep hands off? We debate these issues and others with officials who oversee the state Department of Corrections, the prison guards- union and an organization dedicated to reducing society-s reliance on incarceration.