Riverside County Jails Are Full; Inmates Will Be Released

A new state prison plan aimed to help alleviate prison overcrowding has forced the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to cut loose some of the inmates who transfered to their facilities because they’re full.

In a news release sent out late Friday afternoon, the sheriff’s’ department spelled out why some parolees would be turned back to the street under the supervision of their parole officer.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is continuing to feel the impact of State Assembly Bill 109 (AB109). AB 109 is the legislation that was created to reduce prison overcrowding, costs, and recidivism, as ordered by the United States Supreme Court. AB 109 is also referred to as the state prison realignment.

“As of January 5, 2012, the Sheriff’s Department’s jails are housing 735 inmates who would have been sent to state prison for felony court convictions or violations of their state parole,” the release read. “Under the new realignment sentencing laws, inmates recently convicted in Riverside County courts are receiving sentences averaging 2 years, which is creating a higher than average daily jail population.”

Initially, AB 109, was intended to only send inmates facing 3 years or less for non-violent, non-sexual or non-serious crimes to the county jails instead of the state prisons.

Current jail records indicate that almost 20 percent of inmates convicted of these “Non” offenses are receiving jail sentences exceeding 3 years, with one inmate being sentenced to more than 14 years. Below are statistics which demonstrate the current rise of inmates housed within our facilities due to AB 109 inmates.

“The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will be forced to relieve overcrowding by exercising measures such as electronic ankle bracelet monitoring, return parole violators to the supervision of parole, and the early release of some lower-level inmates,” according to thr release.

Specific dates were not spelled out.