Part of Governor Brown’s budget proposal calls for shifting non-serious offenders to local jails, instead of keeping them at state prisons.
It’s a move that will likely ruffle some feathers with all stakeholders.
There’s no defined way to fund the shift after the proposed temporary tax-hike extensions expire in five years. This could leave counties on the hook for the bills.
The shift would likely result in some three thousand correctional officers losing their jobs, which would not sit well with California Correctional Peace Officer Association.
And then there’s the fear that counties would have to release non-violent offenders to make room for the relocating state-inmates.
From the Oakland Tribune:
Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday called for a major shift of state prisoners to the county jail system, a plan aimed at saving the state money, reducing overcrowded prisons and attempting to better handle juveniles and low-level offenders who cycle through the justice system at great cost to the public.
Brown’s plan would eliminate altogether the state’s juvenile prison system, sending offenders to their home counties and reducing costs that have reached more than $200,000 annually per youth inmate.
Brown’s budget outlines his plans for the state to house only the most serious and violent adult felony offenders, while shifting low-level adult offenders, all youth offenders and parolees to county systems “where they are known to local law enforcement and where community support systems exist.”
Read the full article here.