Hilton and Prop. 36 Architect and Yolo County DA Jeff Reisig Unveil Crime-Fighting Plan at Site of Closed State Prison

SACRAMENTO, CA — California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, along with Prop. 36 architect and Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, held a press conference on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at the closed Deuel Vocational Institution to expose the dangerous consequences of Gavin Newsom’s prison closure agenda and present a bold, commonsense plan to hold criminals accountable so that crime is properly punished and prevented.

Located in Tracy, Deuel Vocational Institution was one of four state prisons shut down under Newsom’s soft-on-crime policies, which have fueled early releases, overcrowded jails, and rising crime across California. The shuttered facility served as a powerful symbol of failed leadership and the need for urgent change.

“Newsom’s decision to close prisons while crime surges is the definition of backward,” said Hilton. “The number of criminals should determine prison capacity; prison capacity should not determine the number of criminals, which appears to be the current state policy. This is what happens when ideology replaces common sense. Gavin Newsom closed prisons, overcrowded local jails, and landed us with a broken system that neither holds criminals accountable nor deters crime. My plan will reverse the damage by expanding prison space so we can ensure real accountability and the opportunity for effective, smart rehabilitation.”

Hilton and Reisig laid out key components of Hilton’s Crime-Fighting and Prison Reform Plan, including:

• Reopening shuttered state prisons to relieve overcrowded county jails and ensure there is enough space to incarcerate violent and repeat offenders.
• Ending early release programs that reward “good conduct” while ignoring serious disciplinary records or the severity of crimes committed.
• Tying early release credits to rehabilitation milestones, such as earning a GED, completing vocational training, or finishing addiction or mental health treatment programs.
• Replacing ineffective government rehabilitation programs with performance-based contracts for private providers, ensuring inmates leave prison equipped to reenter society and contribute positively.
• Overhauling the state’s failed realignment policy, which dumped state-level inmates onto county systems not designed to handle the volume or complexity of their needs.
• Restoring accountability and deterrence by ensuring California’s criminal justice system prioritizes safety over political ideology.

“California has empty prisons, overcrowded jails, and a justice system that fails to hold criminals accountable or give them a real shot at turning their lives around,” Hilton said. “This plan restores order, expands opportunity, and makes safety a priority again.”

See the video here: https://x.com/SteveHiltonx/status/1935368333924171851

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For more information about Steve Hilton’s campaign and vision for California, visit www.stevehiltonforgovernor.com.