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| Editorial: Prison release policy will save money, lives |
| By sacbee.com |
| Published: 09/16/2011 |
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California's plan to release nonviolent female inmates, most of them mothers, is long overdue. The plan, which went into effect this week, grew out of legislation signed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will save taxpayers an estimated $6 million this year, help California comply with court orders to relieve overcrowding in state lockups, and reunite women prisoners with their children. More than 4,000 female inmates in California are potentially eligible for the alternative custody program. This is not a "get-out-of-jail-free card," as some critics have termed it. The women will not be dumped into communities. They still will be under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. But instead of prison, they will serve their sentences in their own homes. They will be assigned parole officers, wear electronic monitoring devices and be required to abide by strict curfews. The criteria for eligibility for alternative custody are strict. Women inmates can have no violent, serious or sex-related convictions. They must undergo assessments to determine whether they are suitable candidates for release into the community and have behaved themselves in prison. Most importantly, they must have some place safe and stable to go, and must enroll in drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, school or job training, or find work. Read More. |
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