Parole And Probation Offices Prepare For Inmate Release

State parole and county probation officers are gearing up for the release of thousands of inmates.

Over the next year, 135 inmates per month will be released back into Riverside County. It’s all part of the plan to reduce the prison population by more than 30,000 inmates.

According to Chief Probation Officer Alan Crogan, most of the released inmates will serve their sentence are non-violent, non-serious, non-sexual offenders.

His office has been preparing for the court-ordered releases for two years. They’re hiring seven new officers and added a new rehabilitation program.

“We are going to be better prepared to deal with the acting out behavior and the byproduct is you’re going to have a more law abiding person,” said Crogan.

Crogan believes parole offices will be ready too.

“Lower level, lower risk offender will come under our supervision, which means it will give them more resources to deal with the higher risk, acting out type of individual,” said Crogan.

According to Crogan, the key to keeping the inmates out of jail or prison, and making them a productive member of society are social programs.

ABC Recovery center provides some of those programs. They provide drug and alcohol rehab for around 200 people, some of them former inmates.

“That only makes sense for society, if we don’t want these persons committing new crimes we should try to find a way to help them so that they won’t commit new crimes,” said Mario Rodrigez, board member for the ABC Recovery Center.

Crogan and others county agencies are waiting for state funding to start the treatment programs, with the goal to make serving time, not just a punishment, but also a way to get better.