When young children cover their eyes so they can’t see you, they think you actually aren’t there anymore. This misconception persists in many adults who think problems will go away if they refuse to see them.

History has shown otherwise. Ignored concerns don’t go away; they generally get worse.

Thus, willful blindness to incompetence, corruption, or irresponsibility usually leads to catastrophe. We've seen that in the scandals plaguing corporate America, Congress, and even the Catholic Church.

And yet our political leaders continue to ignore the blaring alarm warning sounded by the Paris Hilton fiasco.

The simple, indisputable fact is, for nearly two decades a shortage of jails and prisons in California has resulted in the systematic early release of convicted people who the courts said should remain behind bars.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, coping with shortage of space, has released more than 200,000 inmates early in just the last five years including "some who ended up committing murders and other serious crimes when they otherwise would have been behind bars."

The Times reported that "Many of those released had felony convictions and a history of violence and gang activity. Sixteen men released early were later charged with committing murders when they should have still been behind bars. At least seven have been convicted in those slayings."

How early are convicts released? The original sentence is almost automatically reduced to half for good behavior, and the Sheriff’s office said it’s not uncommon to release inmates after they’ve served 10 percent of their already reduced sentence.

Either the original sentences are irrationally long or the release policy is irrationally foolish and dangerous.

We can avoid facing our responsibilities, but we can’t avoid the consequences of avoiding our responsibilities.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.