Contra Costa County – Law enforcement officials in are seeing far more prisoners than projected, since taking on the responsibility for lower level offenders. Since realignment took effect Oct. 1, the jail has taken in 420 additional offenders — 500 percent above state officials’ early projections, according to Under sheriff Mike Casten.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH – reports the number of prisoners in the United States over age 65 increased by 63 percent from 2007 to 2010, while the total number of prisoners increased by less than one percent.
NORTH CAROLINA – Marcus Reymond Robinson has made the first challenge to a death sentence under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act. The act allows Death Row prisoners to cite statistical patterns to argue their jury selections or sentences were racially biased.
TEXAS – On Feb. 29, George Rivas became the state’s 479th person executed. Rivas was convicted of killing police officer Aubrey Hawkins following a 2000 prison break.
SACAMENTO – The League of Women’s Voter has challenged Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s memorandum stating that the nearly 85,000 offenders serving time in county jails because of realignment are not eligible to vote in the June primary.