March 23, 2011
CDCR says shifting inmates to counties is “a reallly good idea,” and “the right thing to do.”
The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials said Wednesday they support a state budget proposal to transfer short-term, lower-level offenders from state prisons to county jails.
The proposal, dubbed "realignment" by state officials, could save the state $450 million this year, with potential annual savings of $2 billion in 2014 as the daily prison population would decline by 30,000.
"Realignment's about taking away from the state and having the counties do more," Oscar Hidalgo, corrections spokesman, said during a news conference Wednesday. "Realignment is going to be complicated and take some time. With all that to say, it's a really good idea. I think it's the right thing to do. In some ways, it illustrates the fact the prison population needs to get smaller..."
LINK - Redding.com
