California County Jails Get Ready for Realignment

With the new realignment that started October 1st, California county jails are preparing for the influx of parolees and nonviolent felons. The US Supreme Court decided that the state had to decrease the prison population by 30,000 inmates in order to reduce the severe overcrowding.

With this new law in place, non-violent offenders and criminals who do not commit sexual crimes, will be housed in county detention facilities instead of state prisons. Upon release, these offenders will be supervised by county probation officers instead of state parole officers.

LA County supervisors are skeptical about the realignment plan, believing it will increase crime and lawsuits in the county. It is also feared that judges will begin handing down shorter sentences in order to avoid severe overcrowding in county jails.

The number of parolees and prisoners will not jump up immediately but increase steadily. It is estimated that by the end of October the county will have nearly 600 new inmates and 120 new parolees.

At the end of four years, it is expected that Los Angeles County Jail will see an additional 8,300 inmates each year. There will be an increased need for inmates to be sent to drug treatment centers or be put on house arrest.

It is believed by some officials that parolees will be more likely to rehabilitate while under county supervision since they will have access to programs located in their own communities. Police officials have tentatively supported the plan while stressing the need to have the state guarantee funding in order to cover the county’s added costs associated with the realignment.

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