SoCal critics want stop to night jail releases

Hundreds of people are urging Riverside County to stop releasing inmates from a detention center at night, saying they roam streets and loiter near businesses.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise says more than 500 residents of French Valley, sixty miles west of Palm Springs, have signed a petition urging the Sheriff’s Department to stop round-the-clock releases of inmates from the nearby Southwest Detention Center. It asks that releases be limited to times when public transportation is available so inmates can go elsewhere. Buses don’t run overnight or on weekends.

Petition organizer Jenee Wooll says that over the past year, an increasing number of prisoners have been hanging out, asking for money or rides or to use cell phones. She calls it a safety issue.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Jerry Gutierrez says the department is reviewing the petition.