Local Inmates May Be Released Early With Anklets

A new state law affecting overcrowding in prisons may cause inmates to be released prematurely with ankle bracelets, officials say.

A state law forcing state prison inmates to move to county prisons may force officials to release prisoners early to avoid overcrowding, an official said.

Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerback made this announcement during a meeting at to discuss AB109, a state law that was signed in April.

To read the text of the bill, click on the PDF file to the right.

"Sometime in December, our county jails are going to be full," Zellerbach said. "That leaves the sheriff’s department with some difficult decisions on who to release on an ankle bracelet ... We have to play the cards we are dealt.”

Temecula's nearest prison is the Southwest Detention Center just outside the city limits in French Valley.

Zellerbach added concerns over a lack of dedicated funding for the program, which is aimed to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court decision in May that requires the state to reduce overcrowding in its prisons.

A constitutional ballot measure, which could go before voters in November 2012, would create long-term funding for the realignment program.

Riverside County jails have received 1,212 inmates so far with release dates that run from November to April 2012, according to Probation Department Chief Alan M. Crogan.

“We as a county can actually manage these programs very well. Funding is a major issue that has to be dealt with,” Crogan said.

Crogan said press accounts that 33,000 state prison inmates will be shipped to county jails across the state are accurate.

Under the new program, state inmates who are non-violent, non-serious, non-high risk will be supervised by the Probation Department instead of State Parole, he said, adding that he believes his department will do a better job.

Sheriff Stan Sniff said Riverside County's five jails--including Southwest Detention Center near Murrieta--book 60,000 people a year, but only have room for less than 4,000.

A federal court order in Riverside County requires the county’s jail to release inmates once they are full, Sniff said.

He said that the burden on the jails will be felt, especially since under new sentencing guidelines about 200 convicts will stay in county jails instead of being transferred into state custody.

“That is a tremendous expense when we are already under fiscal constraints," Sniff said, adding that county law enfrocement may face layoffs if the state does not fully fund AB109.

Gov. Jerry Brown pledged support last week to provide counties with reliable realignment funding.

Peter Surowski contributed to this report.