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| Sheriff Threatens to Shut Down County Jail |
| By latimesblogs.latimes.com |
| Published: 06/30/2009 |
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Sheriff threatens to shut down a county jail because of cutbacks June 26, 2009 PitchessLos Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is threatening to close one of the county's five jails next week if he is forced to cut $25 million from his $2.5-billion budget. Baca sent a letter to county supervisors today saying that in order to cut costs he plans to shut down the 1,600-bed North Facility at Pitchess Detention Centerin Castaic on Wednesday. He told the supervisors that he will release some of those inmates early and transfer others to already overcrowded jails, according to sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore. The 187 staff members currently working at Pitchess will be reassigned, Baca wrote. Whitmore said Baca was reluctant to propose the closure. “This is the last thing he wants to do,” Whitmore said. Baca wrote that closing the jail will “potentially result in an increase in inmate violence and a resultant increase in the use of force.” Whitmore said sheriff’s staffers are already planning for the potential closure. “This is not just a red herring. This is something that is seriously being considered,” Whitmore said. “If the budgets continue this way, he might have to close portions of other jails. Everything’s being looked at.” Baca also proposed lowering bail for non-violent offenders so that they can be released early, “in an attempt to further relieve jail overcrowding.” It would not be the first time Baca has shut down jails or released inmates early. In mid-2002, faced with cuts amid a county budget crisis, Baca began wide-scale early releases, saying he was unwilling to cut on-the-street deputies. Over the next four years, nearly 200,000 inmates were released early, the vast majority walking out after serving no more than 10% of their sentences.Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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