In an effort to avoid early releases and reduce overcrowding, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law allowing counties to transfer jail inmates to other counties, the Associated Press reports.
“The measure also gives counties additional time to build jails and adapt to the state realignment plan,” said Mark Stone, sponsor of the measure, AB 1512. “It’s important that counties have the tools to manage jail overcrowding caused by statewide prison realignment so they can better serve inmate populations and their families.”
In 2006, U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson ordered federal oversight over the California prison system because an average of one inmate was dying every week “as a result of medical malpractice or neglect.”
A three-judge panel has granted two additional years to reduce the prison population, extending the deadline to Feb. 28, 2016. The judges said no additional delays will be granted, the AP reported.
“The state will not be allowed to increase the number of California inmates housed in out-of-state correctional facilities,” the AP story said.
Over the next two years, California representatives will reduce the overcrowding by “making about 350 nonviolent second offenders eligible for parole after half of their sentence is served,” it was reported.
“Releasing nearly 1,600 inmates who meet certain criteria, such as having medical problems or being at least 60 years old and having served 25 years or more of their sentence,” would also reduce the prison population, the AP said.
Inmates are never transferred from state prison to county jails.
The state will also accelerate good time credits for nonviolent offenders to address the proposed reduction in the next two years.
