One could write a whole book on why California's prison system is so dysfunctional, even by the dismal standards of American prisons, but this, from the New York Times' piece on the subject, is something I've never really considered:
Some experts also argue that a legislature bound by term limits has created an expertise vacuum on the complex and emotional issue of prison sentencing.
Does anyone know if this is a serious problem across the board in California? It certainly sounds like a decent argument against term limits (or at least an argument for extending the length of terms), but it's not an issue I'm all that familiar with.
--Bradford Plumer