April 27, 2011
Petersilia advocates sending state inmates to county jails
Gov. Jerry Brown this month signed Assembly Bill 109, historic legislation that will enable California to close the revolving door of low-level inmates cycling in and out of our expensive state-prison system. The bill shifts key responsibilities and funding to counties, which can more effectively sanction - and rehabilitate - offenders.
For too long, California's prison system has outpaced the nation in spending, recidivism and overcrowding - and has had an antiquated parole system. We have paid an unsustainable premium for returning low-level parolees to prison and for doing much at the state level that should be done locally.
California spends nearly $9 billion on corrections annually, or about $50,000 per prisoner (the national average is $23,000)...
LINK - SFGate.com
