Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles Benny Forer says: So our State government surreptitiously passed a bill calling for a realignment of prisoners. Under this bill, many felons are minimally punished, if at all, for their crime. This realignment has wrecked havoc on the county jail system, with extra-early release for many criminals. And, the State Prison is still a mess. Band-Aids don’t help if there is a massive gash.
Follow-up to this: Anyone locals notice an incredible rise in lower-level crimes (car burgs, thefts, residential burglaries, etc.)?
LAT reports: California prisons chief Jeffrey Beard says he is concerned more reductions of the state prison population would overwhelm counties already struggling with the state’s 2011 realignment program.
The state achieved a 25,000 reduction in its prison population by requiring counties to take on criminals from three fronts: County jails must house lower-level offenders and state parole violators, and those released from prison now go through county probation. Even so, California prisons continue to exceed population caps set by federal courts.
Under threat of being held in contempt, Gov. Jerry Brown has been given until next week to submit a plan for further reductions.
