July 4, 2011
Local law enforcement readies for state inmates
In just three months, Superior Court judges will start sending low-level felony offenders to county jail, instead of state prison, and law enforcement officials here are bracing for the event.
Some say the state’s decision to require local jails to house and supervise certain nonviolent criminals — one of the cost-saving measures used to balance the state budget by July 1 — is the biggest change to the local criminal justice system in at least 25 years.
“This is a major shift in public safety in the state of California,” Sheriff Bill Gore said. “And it’s happening so fast.”
Gore and other county leaders have been meeting for months to figure out how the plan will work. One thing is certain: They’ll have far less funding than they had hoped for...
LINK - SignonSanDiego.com
