The Realignment money may be coming in a large chunk, but that doesn’t mean there was only one opinion of how it should be spent. In fact, with $13.1 million in total funds allotted to Sacramento County, it wouldn’t be surprising to see 13.1 million opinions on how it should be spent.

But the debate over allocating $6 million to open a new wing at the county jail to house some 275 beds grew contentious, as Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones yelled at Chief Probation Officer Don Meyer that he could be wrong. Meyer’s parroted response “What if you’re wrong?” helped elevate the debate.

The disagreement came because Meyer wants the money to be spent on rehabilitating prisoners to reduce recidivism, while Jones wants more capacity to house offenders. In the end, the panel backed Jones’ proposal and the issue will be sent to the Board of Supervisors for a vote as early as November 1.

From the Sacramento Bee:

A key committee recommended today that Sacramento County spend $6 million of its “realignment” money from the state to open a 275-bed wing in the jail system to accommodate inmates who otherwise would be in the California prison system.

The 4-3 vote in favor of of the jail bed plan came after an at-times heated exchange between Sheriff Scott Jones, who wanted the beds, and Chief Probation Officer Don Meyer, who thought more money should be allocated for inmate rehabilitation programs.

Read the full article here.