Baca says early inmate releases 'inevitable' if budget crisis continues

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said Wednesday it was "inevitable" that nonviolent inmates in county jails would be released early if the budget crisis persists.

Currently, inmates in County Jail convicted of nonviolent offenses serve 80% of their sentences.  But that  could drop to 50%, department officials said.

"The discussion has moved to the forefront," department spokesman Steve Whitmore said.  "It has become another tool that we are looking at."

Earlier this week, Baca said the department was examining a number of budget-cutting measures, including moving hundreds of deputies from administrative duties to street patrol and slashing overtime payments.

But he told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that early releases may also have to be used to cut costs.

For a period in 2004, Baca released petty criminals early to save money. The move was criticized by other law enforcement officials.

William J. Bratton, who was Los Angeles Police Department chief at the time, said the early releases undercut the LAPD's so-called broken-windows strategy. The strategy is based on the idea that punishing lesser offenses leads to reductions in more serious crime.

-- Andrew Blankstein and Robert J. Lopez

Comments

[Julian B Duron]

As stated in my previous post:
Sheriff Lee Baca will do what he has to do to keep the Public safe. Job #1 public safety. If it means old war horses have to come out of the barn so be it! The Sheriff knows all agencies are tightening the budget belt and his department is no different.
This citizen’s greatest concern is; if Los Angeles County jail system starts an "early release policy" of inmates. Will CCW Carry Concealed Weapon laws be relaxed so that law abiding citizens may apply for CCW Permits? Better a GUN a hand that Officer in the phone.
Posted by: Julian B Duron | March 03, 2010 at 06:32 AM

John Albert Gardner III, rapist and Killer who never should have been released prison proves that at the state or county level the system is broken.
Any business owner and or manager of a business that handles cash and banking from a business now has to be concerned who is being released from prison or county jail in their community.
Every parent now is looking at registered sex offender websites to see where in their community are these criminals are being dumped.
As a veteran that served this country, it is shameful to see what is going on in the State of California and local counties regarding “Early Release programs”.
Areas of Los Angeles County are already warzones. Law abiding citizens want to be able to apply and get a Permit to carry a weapon to defend themselves and do not want some ACLU card carrying bleeding heart liberal Politician tell me them they can not!
Go ahead a post of list of Politicians that voted for tough gun laws and see how many have CCW permits.

[Lisa Lee]

""Earlier this week, Baca said the department was examining a number of budget-cutting measures, including moving hundreds of deputies from administrative duties to street patrol and slashing overtime payments.""

If they could have been moved previously, they should have been moved to street patrol. Sounds like the Sheriff is finally being forced to get his troops working rather than padding the payroll with high labor cost clerks.

[tinkerbell]

Keep them in prison. Instead of all the bling, bling, tv, exercise equipment, feed them bread and water and a cot. Bare necessities for bare times. Don't jeopardize the hardworking public that would be subject to their crime history. Make them sleep in tents. It's time society stops paying for their mistakes.

[Louie]

Most of the people in county jails are in for drugs and shouldnt be there in the first place! We need to step back, look at the war on drugs and admit it cannot be won. Legalize and tax them all. It'll work wonders for our broken budget and empty our prisons and jails of people that really dont belong there.

[Sophia]

Stop giving the inmates cable television and new gym equipment. Some prison inmates live better than I do. Cutting the "extra" would save money that could be used to keep prisoners in prison.

[Chuck]

As a tax-payer, why am I paying to house and feed a criminal who is non-violent? Lets be rational... prisons are to keep violent people away from society. If they are non-violent what are they doing in prison in the first place? California has gone jail-happy. Drug addict? Put him in jail. Can't pay child support? Put him in jail. Homeless? Put him in jail. We simply cannot afford to put petty criminals in jail. Give them probation and hours of community service instead. I am so sick of hearing about someone doing 3 years for a non violent drug related crime and the guy who beats up his wife and kid gets let out in less than a week. We need to focus more on rehabilitation and less on arbitrary incarceration.

[enough01]

Why not send all the illegals that are locked up back south,instead of back to the streets.

[Mike_C_IE]

Looks like some people might start actually worrying about the funding that the Sheriff's Department is not getting. Public safety being the ultimate priority is what sets the U.S. apart from the third world countries. It seems like the threat of having offenders released early is starting to concern some of those who were taking shots at the LASD just a day or two ago. If it wasn't for the sacrifices those men and women make in their lives (personally and professionally) you would have a hard time sleeping soundly at night.

[county love]

County needs to run an audit in the contractors,special attention needed on the sheriff side with ridiculous charges given for services rendered in which we the public can get it for less money

[Cyndie]

1. Take away the cable TV and the special gym equipment. Prisoners don't deserve cable tv. Basic TV is just the news and some old movies and a few sitcoms. That's MORE than they should get!!
2. Running, jumping jacks, pushups, etc; that is excercising. Weight lifting is not necessary. Put that fancy gym equipment in schools that have none.
3. Put the non-violent criminals on probation and give them community service. Violent criminals are the ones that belong in jail - with just the basics - 3 hots and a cot - Which is what our country seems to think is OK to give to our Veterans!!
Make these violent criminals SUFFER for what they did, don't pamper them! For most of them, jail is better than where they were living before they were arrested!