California's overcrowded prison system is sending more inmates to county jails than expected, pressuring local officials to find ways to keep up with the demand.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision requires California to lower its state inmate count by 30,000 to reduce overcrowding. Prisoners convicted of nonviolent crimes are now being sent to county jails to comply with the order.
As a result, counties are speeding up efforts to reopen previously closed jail wings as well as finding other arrangements including house arrest and electronic monitoring to keep up with the demand.
Orange County has gotten more than double what the state had estimated and could reach capacity in May.
"In October we anticipated the state totals we would receive would be 94 inmates and we actually got 292," said Orange County Assistant Sheriff Mike James.
Riverside County's jail is at 93% capacity and could be full by January 2012.
In Kern County, a total of 50 parolees who've committed new offenses had to be released from county jails because there's no space for them there, according to media reports.
"Instead of 120 inmates, we got 150 inmates extra in October. That adds up over 12 months," Corrections Chief Kevin Zimmermann of the Kern County Sheriff's Department told the Times.
Sheriff's officials say the influx of state prisoners will likely lead to more early releases, house arrests, and other programs, such as education-based incarceration, which is designed to reduce recidivism and keep prisoners out of jail.
Some counties are adjusting better than others.
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Los Angeles County, which expected about 600 state prisoners by now, has booked more than 900. But the county has received funding from the state to keep up with the demand, said Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department. In addition, the release of inmates who have completed their sentences is close to the number incarcerated.
"Don't forget we also have prisoners that book out. It's not a static situation. We have about 800 come in and about 800 go out," Whitmore said.
The county will likely not feel the strain like other counties until June or July next year but it depends on how much funding they receive, Whitmore said.
"Is it a challenge? Absolutely. Do we have to have the money? Absolutely. But are our jails going to be bursting at the seams in three weeks? No," Whitmore said. "For today, we're holding our own."
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