When Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill expanding media access to state prisons, he was following in a long California tradition. Three previous governors have vetoed such bills that would let reporters record interviews with whatever prisoners they choose.
So why does the Legislature keep butting heads with the governor on this issue?
When the bill passed in the State Senate, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, said in a media release that expanding media access would help uncover problems in the state prison system.
The lack of good information is also a danger to the prisoners, the employees and the public at large. It was under these closed-door conditions that prison health conditions deteriorated to the point that the courts stepped in. When it comes to prisons, what we don’t know can really hurt us.
Brown argued in his veto message that wardens need control of what television interviews prisoner can have.
Giving criminals celebrity status through repeated appearances on television will glorify their crimes and hurt victims and their families.
In an interview with KQED’s Joshua Johnson, California Watch prisons reporter Michael Montgomery provided some background.