California Ordered To Release More Prisoners

California's Undersecretary of Corrections made it clear to Governor Jerry Brown Tuesday that the state must release 9,000 inmates by the end of the year.

The court order, which basically states that prison overcrowding violates an inmate's Constitutional rights by providing inadequate care, requires Calif. to release some of the criminal population. Gov. Brown has until today May 2 to submit a plan and begin complying.

If the Governor does not comply, he could be held in contempt, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Some officials, including prisons chief Jeffrey Beard stated that continuing to release more prisoners to county agencies is taxing them beyond their limits.

"There are some counties that are really struggling," Beard said. "I have a real concern that if you shift more to them, you start to have problems ... it could unravel what has been a huge historic change."

Officials could consider shortening sentences for inmates. Criminals with less than two years to serve could be placed under house arrest, strapped with GPS monitoring devices. Some could even be sent out of state, according to KPCC.

In late January, Glendora Police Chief Rob Castro attributed the city's increase in crime rates to realignment efforts, specifically AB 109.

Just last week, Baldwin Park Police Department and L.A. County Sheriff's Department completed a parole term compliance check in Baldwin Park "to ensure these subjects remain in compliance with the conditions of their release."

The state could comply with the court order as soon as the plan is submitted, officials said.

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