Riverside County's two top cops — District Attorney Rod Pacheco and Sheriff Stanley Sniff — are already talking about the overwhelming problems they'll be facing. The orignal number of released prisoners was listed at 22,000.

"I've spoken personally to Secretary James Tilton, who is in charge, and his representation is that the first phase is 22,000," Pacheco explained. "The second phase is an additional 24,000 with an ultimate goal of 65,000 prisoners released."

It could appear that Desert Hot Springs is the city that can't catch a break. It has the most parolees of any desert city, and they'll get the large portion of the thousands expected to return to Riverside County…

State Sen. Mike Machado laid it on pretty thick today in questioning a representative of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about the administration's budget proposals on prisons.

"You have given us a very incomplete proposal," Machado, D-Linden, told Department of Finance principal program analyst Jennifer Osborn at a budget subcommittee hearing on prison spending. "It's very hard for us to believe the governor is serious about this proposal."

Machado focused his questioning on Schwarzenegger's proposal to grant early releases to 22,000 inmates at the same time it's trying to expand prison capacity by 53,000 beds. Osborn, for the most part, was at a loss for words and wound up leaving the hearing in tears.

The Indian Wells City Council approved a resolution Thursday that takes aim at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to release early an estimated 22,000 nonviolent California prisoners.

Prisoners incarcerated for "non-serious, nonviolent" drug crimes and "lower-level offenses" such as property crimes would be considered for early release, according to the governor's office. The council voted 4-1, with Councilman Rob Bernheimer dissenting.

The Coachella Valley Association of Governments' Executive Committee passed the same resolution last month. "It's a complicated problem," Bernheimer said. "I'm not sure the governor's proposal is the right proposal, but it needs to be dealt with. We're making a policy statement to the governor without knowing everything."

What will summary parole mean for California?

More than 18,500 convicted felons currently out on parole would be allowed to go free without any tracking or supervision by law enforcement. We won't have any idea whether they are making progress to become productive members of the community or even adhering to the terms of their parole, including staying away from drugs or alcohol and maintaining a job.

Right now, our community has some peace of mind that parolees will follow the terms of their parole because they are under the watchful eye of law enforcement. That will all go away under summary parole…

Protecting citizens from those who seek to do harm is not only a legitimate role of government, it's the primary role. As an elected member of the State Assembly, I have a bird's eye view of how the Legislature works and can attest that oftentimes, we miss the mark.

As a case in point, I am deeply troubled that our public safety could be threatened under a dangerous plan proposed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that would create a new category of prisoner release called "summary parole." Under this plan, parolees would no longer be supervised or tracked by parole officers, nor could they be sent back to prison for violating the terms of their parole, such as abusing drugs or obtaining deadly weapons…

Like food and shelter, being safe from crime is a basic necessity. All the opportunity, happiness and prosperity in the world is meaningless if you can't take a walk in your neighborhood or feel safe at home. Public safety has always been my top priority in Sacramento. I've strongly supported protections like Jessica's Law, Megan's Law and Three Strikes, to keep criminals locked up where they belong and protect Orange County families.

But under a dangerous proposal by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to create a new category of parole called "summary parole," our safety could be at risk. Under the proposal, felons convicted of any number of serious crimes would no longer be supervised by law enforcement while they are on parole…

"We are writing to express our concern about your administration's statement in the LA Times article on January 19th entitled "Settlement of lawsuits could let the governor limit the Legislature's influence on solution to overcrowding issue," that you are considering settling with the plaintiffs who have demanded the early release of up to 35,000 prisoners. We want to make sure you and your negotiating team understands that the Assembly Republican caucus will not support any settlement which results in the release of prisoners before they have completed their sentence or any sentencing changes which undermine the integrity of our criminal justice system…"

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael A. Ramos joined others in the law enforcement community to argue against early discharges at a meeting Tuesday with representatives from the Governor's Office and corrections officials in Sacramento. "I've been fighting this issue for two years," Ramos said during a telephone interview Wednesday…