Prison overcrowding

　　監獄人滿為患

　　ANTHONY KENNEDY, appointed to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan and in effect its swingvote nowadays, has for years been speaking out against the inhumane conditions insideAmericas prisons. As a native of California, he has also taken an interest in that statesparticularly horrendous prison overcrowding. In Los Angeles last year, he called it sick that thestates prison-guards union had sponsored a notorious ballot measure that, with othersentencing excesses, now keeps far too many Californians locked up.

　　由羅納德??里根委任的最高法院法官，實則現在法院提案關鍵投票者的安東尼??肯尼迪，在過去的幾年里挺身而出，直言抗議美國監獄的非人性化環境。作為一個加州人，他對州里極其糟糕，人滿為患的監獄環境也很關注。去年在洛杉磯，他說加州獄警工會出臺的有名的表決措施很惡心，再加上判刑過重，加州監獄現在的在押人數實在太多。

　　So it was no surprise that Mr Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in a 5-4 decision by thecourt this week that orders California to reduce its prison overcrowding. Full capacity isdefined as one inmate per cell, which in California currently means 80,000 prisoners. ButCalifornias prisons have at times housed twice as many, with inmates stacked in bunk beds ingymnasiums. At the moment, the prisons are about 175% full. The court order requires thatratio to go down to a slightly less egregious 137.5% within two years.

　　難怪肯尼迪在本周法院5比4的提案中寫下的判詞都是要求加州削減其監獄人數。最高容量是指每間牢房住一個囚犯，而這個概念在如今的加州意味著一個牢房住8萬名囚犯。可是有時加州監獄在押犯人數量是這個的兩倍之多，囚犯就蝸居在體育館的雙層床上。目前，建州監獄人數比率約 175%。法院的指示要求兩年之內該比率應下降到一個稍微沒那么糟的水平，即137.5%

　　Overcrowding has meant not only more violence butwoefully inadequate health and mental care, withmore deaths and suicides. When are you going toavoid or get around people sitting in their faeces fordays in a dazed state? Justice Sonia Sotomayortestily demanded of a lawyer representing Californialast November. Mr Kennedy, in his opinion this week,referred to an inmate who had been held in a cagefor nearly 24 hours, standing in a pool of his ownurine, unresponsive and nearly catatonic.

　　監獄的過度擁擠不僅意味著更多暴力現象的產生，而且犯人們的身心也會極不健康，導致死亡和自殺人數增加。你何時才能避開那些神智不清且好幾天都夾帶著糞便的人去透透氣呢?去年 11月，索尼亞??索托梅雅法官被來自加州的法官代表這樣質問到。本周肯尼迪提到一個犯人，說他在牢中關了將近一天，站在自己的小便里，神情恍惚，幾近昏厥。

　　Such conditions are, in Mr Kennedys words, incompatible with the concept of humandignity and amount to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. The four judges whoare considered liberal agreed; the four conservatives did not. For Justice Samuel Alito, the casewas a matter not of dignity but of public safety. The decision, he said, will force California torelease 46,000 criminalsthe equivalent of three army divisions.

　　用肯尼迪的話來說，這樣的環境與要尊重人格尊嚴的理念格格不入，也是違反憲法的殘忍且罕見的處罰。在大家看來比較開明的四位法官同意他的觀點，而另外四位保守型法官則不同意。對塞繆爾??阿利托法官來說，這個案子無關尊嚴，而有關公共安全問題。他說，那項提案將迫使加州釋放4萬6千名囚犯相當于三個師。

　　That is quite an exaggeration, and not only in numbers. First, the decision itself does notorder releases. In theory, California could build new prisons or send inmates out of state toreduce the ratio to 137.5%. Given the states budget crisis, that is admittedly unlikely. ButCalifornia can also transfer inmates to county jails. As it happens, Jerry Brown, the governor,is trying to do that anyway, and is haggling over the details with local administrations.

　　這種說法實在夸張，而且不僅僅是數字上的夸張。首先，提案本身并未要求釋放囚犯。按理說，加州可以通過新建獄所，或將囚犯送往其他州的監獄而將比率減至137.5%。考慮到州的赤字危機，這種方法誠然不太可能實現。但加州也可將犯人轉移至縣監獄。無巧不成書，州長杰里??布朗正想盡辦法無論如何也要轉移囚犯，同時正與地方政府就細節事項討價還價。

　　More generally, many prisoners can indeed be released without any threat to public safety.What caused this overcrowding in the first place were the draconian sentencing laws that nowunnecessarily keep huge numbers of entirely non-violent inmates behind bars: for smokingdope or writing bad cheques, say, or for missing parole appointments.

　　更籠統的說，加州監獄的確可以釋放許多囚犯，且不會對公共安全造成威脅。導致監獄人滿為患的首要原因就是判決法太過嚴厲，致使現在監獄里多此一舉地關押了大批非刑事罪犯，比如有吸毒的，亂開空頭支票的，或是沒有假釋資格的。

　　More puzzling yet was the tone of the other dissent, by Antonin Scalia. Calling theproceedings a judicial travesty, Mr Scalia wrote that the decision will benefit inmates whowill undoubtedly be fine physical specimens who have developed intimidating muscles pumpingiron in the prison gym. That was the language of sarcasm, not dignity.

　　更讓人不解的是持反對意見的安東??斯卡利亞法官的論調。把這個議程稱作是對司法的嘲弄，他寫到，該提案會便宜了有些囚犯，他們無疑會成為體魄強壯的家伙，在監獄的健身房里舉著鐵管上下擺動，練出有威懾力的肌肉。這是挖苦人的話，而不是尊重人的話。

　　Prison overcrowding

　　監獄人滿為患

　　ANTHONY KENNEDY, appointed to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan and in effect its swingvote nowadays, has for years been speaking out against the inhumane conditions insideAmericas prisons. As a native of California, he has also taken an interest in that statesparticularly horrendous prison overcrowding. In Los Angeles last year, he called it sick that thestates prison-guards union had sponsored a notorious ballot measure that, with othersentencing excesses, now keeps far too many Californians locked up.

　　由羅納德??里根委任的最高法院法官，實則現在法院提案關鍵投票者的安東尼??肯尼迪，在過去的幾年里挺身而出，直言抗議美國監獄的非人性化環境。作為一個加州人，他對州里極其糟糕，人滿為患的監獄環境也很關注。去年在洛杉磯，他說加州獄警工會出臺的有名的表決措施很惡心，再加上判刑過重，加州監獄現在的在押人數實在太多。

　　So it was no surprise that Mr Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in a 5-4 decision by thecourt this week that orders California to reduce its prison overcrowding. Full capacity isdefined as one inmate per cell, which in California currently means 80,000 prisoners. ButCalifornias prisons have at times housed twice as many, with inmates stacked in bunk beds ingymnasiums. At the moment, the prisons are about 175% full. The court order requires thatratio to go down to a slightly less egregious 137.5% within two years.

　　難怪肯尼迪在本周法院5比4的提案中寫下的判詞都是要求加州削減其監獄人數。最高容量是指每間牢房住一個囚犯，而這個概念在如今的加州意味著一個牢房住8萬名囚犯。可是有時加州監獄在押犯人數量是這個的兩倍之多，囚犯就蝸居在體育館的雙層床上。目前，建州監獄人數比率約 175%。法院的指示要求兩年之內該比率應下降到一個稍微沒那么糟的水平，即137.5%

　　Overcrowding has meant not only more violence butwoefully inadequate health and mental care, withmore deaths and suicides. When are you going toavoid or get around people sitting in their faeces fordays in a dazed state? Justice Sonia Sotomayortestily demanded of a lawyer representing Californialast November. Mr Kennedy, in his opinion this week,referred to an inmate who had been held in a cagefor nearly 24 hours, standing in a pool of his ownurine, unresponsive and nearly catatonic.

　　監獄的過度擁擠不僅意味著更多暴力現象的產生，而且犯人們的身心也會極不健康，導致死亡和自殺人數增加。你何時才能避開那些神智不清且好幾天都夾帶著糞便的人去透透氣呢?去年 11月，索尼亞??索托梅雅法官被來自加州的法官代表這樣質問到。本周肯尼迪提到一個犯人，說他在牢中關了將近一天，站在自己的小便里，神情恍惚，幾近昏厥。

　　Such conditions are, in Mr Kennedys words, incompatible with the concept of humandignity and amount to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. The four judges whoare considered liberal agreed; the four conservatives did not. For Justice Samuel Alito, the casewas a matter not of dignity but of public safety. The decision, he said, will force California torelease 46,000 criminalsthe equivalent of three army divisions.

　　用肯尼迪的話來說，這樣的環境與要尊重人格尊嚴的理念格格不入，也是違反憲法的殘忍且罕見的處罰。在大家看來比較開明的四位法官同意他的觀點，而另外四位保守型法官則不同意。對塞繆爾??阿利托法官來說，這個案子無關尊嚴，而有關公共安全問題。他說，那項提案將迫使加州釋放4萬6千名囚犯相當于三個師。

　　That is quite an exaggeration, and not only in numbers. First, the decision itself does notorder releases. In theory, California could build new prisons or send inmates out of state toreduce the ratio to 137.5%. Given the states budget crisis, that is admittedly unlikely. ButCalifornia can also transfer inmates to county jails. As it happens, Jerry Brown, the governor,is trying to do that anyway, and is haggling over the details with local administrations.

　　這種說法實在夸張，而且不僅僅是數字上的夸張。首先，提案本身并未要求釋放囚犯。按理說，加州可以通過新建獄所，或將囚犯送往其他州的監獄而將比率減至137.5%。考慮到州的赤字危機，這種方法誠然不太可能實現。但加州也可將犯人轉移至縣監獄。無巧不成書，州長杰里??布朗正想盡辦法無論如何也要轉移囚犯，同時正與地方政府就細節事項討價還價。

　　More generally, many prisoners can indeed be released without any threat to public safety.What caused this overcrowding in the first place were the draconian sentencing laws that nowunnecessarily keep huge numbers of entirely non-violent inmates behind bars: for smokingdope or writing bad cheques, say, or for missing parole appointments.

　　更籠統的說，加州監獄的確可以釋放許多囚犯，且不會對公共安全造成威脅。導致監獄人滿為患的首要原因就是判決法太過嚴厲，致使現在監獄里多此一舉地關押了大批非刑事罪犯，比如有吸毒的，亂開空頭支票的，或是沒有假釋資格的。

　　More puzzling yet was the tone of the other dissent, by Antonin Scalia. Calling theproceedings a judicial travesty, Mr Scalia wrote that the decision will benefit inmates whowill undoubtedly be fine physical specimens who have developed intimidating muscles pumpingiron in the prison gym. That was the language of sarcasm, not dignity.

　　更讓人不解的是持反對意見的安東??斯卡利亞法官的論調。把這個議程稱作是對司法的嘲弄，他寫到，該提案會便宜了有些囚犯，他們無疑會成為體魄強壯的家伙，在監獄的健身房里舉著鐵管上下擺動，練出有威懾力的肌肉。這是挖苦人的話，而不是尊重人的話。